Time is a Valuable Thing
by purastella
Summary: For so many years her parents had told her that it would always be her choice. But as she stared down at the blood dripping from her fingers, Mia thought that maybe her fate had already been decided long ago. Perhaps she was simply a puppet whose strings had just been cut and all that was left for her to do now was to continue falling and wait for the shatter as she hit the ground.
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N): ... well, it's been awhile, hasn't it?**

**I honestly did not expect it to take this long with starting this. I had planned on only taking a short break. But then things got away from me- my new job, the stress of moving, my new job abruptly starting to suck the life out of me, and a great deal of family stress. I also kind of lost contact with my previous beta- hannbells- so I didn't have someone to go over my writing and plot with. Thank god for singingmyheartsong because without her, I wouldn't be posting this at all. She hasn't even read all of the first book but she's done her best to help with this and has kept me from overextending myself plotwise. Without her, the Fantastic Four would be in this and life would be a little more confusing.**

**My anxiety has also gone through the roof recently and I'm really anxious about posting this. I just kept worrying that it's not good enough. But no more. It's time to be brave.**

**There were actually one other story summary I was considering for this. I'll post it here so that you can read it for yourself because I think it fits:**

**It was with a sinking heart that she realized that she was never going to be the hero. Neither Mia nor Hermione were going to be the ones to save the day. She was a killer and a liar and a thief- she was a villain at worst or an antihero at best. But, if that was her fate, then fine- she was going to be the best goddamned antihero this world had ever seen.**

**Which do you like better? I like both personally. I just used the one I thought fit best overall.**

**Anyway, to everyone who has been cheering me on throughout this journey, this is for you. You all are the reason I continue writing and I am forever grateful for your encouragement.**

**Quick note, in case you were unaware, I have started a separate story for one-shots from this world called _The Collection. _So far, the only thing I have posted is a character study of Hermione that gives you some good insight into what her mindset will be in this story arc and also some new characters she'll be meeting. If you have a moment, go read it and let me know what you think!**

**This chapter has been beta read by me so any mistakes you find are mine. Unfortunately.**

**Without further ado, welcome to the sequel to _It Starts With Why. _Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Gamora watched her 'father' with shuttered eyes. Ever since his Chitauri had fallen trying to claim Terra, Thanos had become even more strict and tyrannical. He had ordered Ronan to visit the planet and destroy the Weapon- though Gamora was sure that Thanos was expecting Ronan to fail. The warrior known as Captain Marvel was infamous throughout the universe and she knew that Ronan would never be powerful enough to defeat her._

_If the rumors were accurate, then she had more strength in her than the entirety of Thanos' remaining soldiers combined and Gamora envied her. If she had been as strong as the Captain, Thanos would never have been able to destroy her home. And if Thanos' fears were true, if Captain Marvel had acquired the Mind Stone and had access to the Tesseract, then even Thanos would not be able to defeat her._

_For the first time in years, Gamora felt a spark of hope within her. If Captain Marvel were to find out where Thanos was hiding, surely she would come and destroy him before he could ruin any more lives. Perhaps there was a chance that Gamora and Nebula would finally be free._

_All she had to do was figure out how to show the Captain the way._

* * *

Mia threw herself upright with a cry, abruptly pulled from her nightmare. Her heart was pounding, drumming loudly in her chest, and she was soaked in sweat.

This wasn't the first time she had woken up in such a manner. Ever since she'd been in contact with the Time Stone, her dreams had been plagued by the horrors she'd seen. Not even the nightmares she'd had since the war had been this bad. The scenes playing out behind her lids were vivid, bright, in a way that past ones never were.

Steve kneeling on the ground with a shattered expression.

Tony collapsed, covered in blood and burns, with lifeless eyes that bored into her.

Her father- the man she loved most in the entire galaxy- choked to death in front of her as Thor screamed in the background.

_It's not fair. It shouldn't have to be you, but it is._

_I love you. More than anything._

It took Mia a moment to realize that the high-pitched keening sound was coming from her.

The bedroom door slammed open and Tony came bursting in. There were faint bags under his eyes, his hair stuck out wildly, and grease stains covered his hands and clothes- evidence that her brother had been pulling an all-nighter in his lab when JARVIS alerted him to her distress.

He didn't say anything, just sat down quietly on the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms. Mia buried her face in his shoulder, hands fisted into his shirt, uncaring of the sticky oil that was surely spreading onto both her and her bedsheets.

It took a long time for Mia to finally calm herself down enough to be able to speak. "Thank you," she croaked.

"Anytime." He hesitated for a moment before offering, "Want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. Mia couldn't tell him about her nightmares. She wasn't going to inflict her terror onto him when he had his own problems to deal with.

Glancing over at the clock on her nightstand, she saw that it was almost 3:30 in the morning. "Why are you still awake? We're still leaving by ten, right?"

"Got distracted in the lab," he told her, slumping down a bit as his body's exhaustion finally caught up to his racing mind. "Took advantage of the quiet- what with Pepper being in L.A. and you off doing good deeds for most of yesterday."

"We can't all be technological genius'; some of us have to try and make a difference in other ways."

Right after the Battle of New York- as the media had taken to calling it- Mia had begun assisting Pepper with coordinating relief efforts around the city. She helped manage fundraisers around the country, met with both charity directors working in the city and with individual families and business owners who had been affected by the invasion, and had even managed to destroy several fraudulent aid organizations that had cropped up. It was hard work, but Mia enjoyed it. Between that and her numerous meetings with MACUSA, Mia ended her days more exhausted than not. Some days the exhaustion was enough to keep the nightmares at bay. Some days not.

"You know," Tony started cautiously. "We don't have to do this tomorrow. It doesn't make you a bad person for needing more time."

Mia shook her head and Tony could feel her fingers trembling against his chest. "No. I've put this off long enough; I need to do this."

Tony understood. "Alright then. I should probably head upstairs then and shower before crashing for a few hours. You going to be okay by yourself?"

Slowly pulling away from him, Mia lay back down on her side of the bed. "I'll be fine."

He didn't believe her but knew better than to push. "You might want to shower first and then sleep somewhere else," Tony advised, standing up and stretching his arms up over his head. "Grease is a pain to get off when it's dry."

She knew he was right, and Mia forced herself to roll off the bed. "You just had to muck up my sheets, didn't you?"

"So ungrateful. See if I come to your rescue next time." Tony spun around and walked out of the room.

"Love you!" Mia called after him and he waved a hand at her in response before disappearing.

Even though she knew Tony still wasn't very comfortable with anything involving feelings, Mia made it a point to be as affectionate with him as possible. It didn't take a genius to realize that his parents weren't the most demonstrative of people- especially his father- and that had left Tony somewhat emotionally stunted. She never wanted Tony to doubt for even a moment how much she cared for him and how happy she was to be a part of his family.

Staring down at her bed, Mia deliberated whether or not she wanted to actually change her sheets or if she just wanted to sleep in the guest room.

Steve's room.

He'd been spending less time with her the last few months, ever since she'd told him that they couldn't be together. Mia understood why that was, knew that it would be ignorant and cruel to expect him to act the same as he had before. It didn't change the fact that she wished things could have remained the same- as childish and selfish a wish as it was.

Despite the fact that Steve had insisted that the only reason he was away so much was because of the work he was doing with S.H.I.E.L.D. in Washington D.C., Mia wasn't sure that she should believe him. If it had been the other way around, if she had put herself out there and Steve had rejected her, Mia would have wanted to keep a few states between them until she was able to get past her embarrassment and hurt. She didn't regret what she had done but she wished there would have been another way.

It had just been too much. Her parents, the Mind Stone, the attack on New York, the Time Stone- all of it had been too tangled up inside her head for her to be able to process anything properly. Then Steve had reached out to her and she couldn't do it. She couldn't be what he needed. He wanted someone honest, open- he wanted Hermione Granger, the girl she used to be. The one who seemed to have so many similarities with Peggy Carter, according to Steve. But she wasn't just Hermione Granger anymore, she was also Mia and her life would always be shrouded in misdirection's and lies.

And, if she was being totally honest, Mia didn't think her heart could handle entering into a relationship that was guaranteed to end messily. What she'd told Steve was true- there was no happily ever after for them. What he didn't know was that applied to any of her future relationships- at least until Thanos was taken care of.

Finally making a decision, Mia pulled the sheets and blankets off her bed and took them to the laundry room next to her bathroom. Out of everything Tony had put into her apartment, she thought that the combined washing and drying machine was the most convenient. "JARVIS?" she called sleepily.

"Once you're out of the shower, Miss Stark, I will start the laundry," he informed her, automatically knowing what she wanted.

"You are spectacular, JARVIS. Nobody deserves you."

"Indeed."

Moving into the bathroom, Mia stripped out of her pajamas, and her gaze caught on the collection of scars vividly standing out against the pale skin of her forearm. _Mudblood_.

Even with her considerable talents, she hadn't been able to erase Bellatrix's handywork, just as she hadn't been able to rid herself of the scar Dolohov had left her with. All of her other injuries from that day were healed thanks to Loki and Carol, but not that one. She hadn't brought it up with either parent, not wanting them to feel any more guilt than they already did, but Tony had known about that particular badge from when she'd first arrived in New York. When he'd spotted the injury again several months later- despite her attempts to keep it hidden from everyone- and saw that it wasn't healing, Tony and Bruce had thrown themselves into creating something that would heal the scars with a claim that impossible wasn't a word in their vocabulary.

Pulling her hair up and clipping it back, she climbed into the shower and turned on the hot water. As the water flowed down her, Mia wondered when she had stopped being so affected by the slur on her arm. When she'd first woken up in the hospital, she'd had to stop herself from constantly rolling up her sleeves whenever she was alone so that she could pick at the scars. Now, Mia forgot that it was actually there on most days. It may have still been a part of her, but it no longer defined her the way it once had.

Once she was finished scrubbing off the sticky smears on her hands and arms using a special bodywash Pepper had given her that was specifically created for removing grease, Mia stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her. Hurrying into her closet, she grabbed a clean nightgown and pulled it on. Hesitating for another moment, she finally made herself walk over to Steve's room.

As she stepped inside, Mia was forced to acknowledge the fact that it couldn't really be considered Steve's room any longer. With every extended trip to D.C., more and more of his things had been taken from the room and now there was almost nothing left. The last time he had been there, Steve had even told her that it was alright to let other people stay in there- that's how detached he had become of this space. That was the only reason Mia allowed herself to sleep in there without feeling like an intruder.

She'd once told Steve that even when she had nothing, she'd still had him. It would seem that wasn't the truth anymore and the fault was mainly her own.

Climbing into his bed, Mia buried her face in his pillow. It still smelled faintly of him and she felt engulfed in the safety and lightness she always felt when in his presence. Moments later, Mia was sound asleep.

* * *

Steve stumbled into the elevator at the newly renamed 'Avengers Tower' an hour before dawn. He was absolutely exhausted; he'd just gotten back from a long mission in South America with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Strike Team a few hours ago. After showering and powering through a debriefing at the New York office, Steve had headed straight for the tower. Tony had told him where he and Hermione were headed the next morning and Steve had immediately asked to join.

"Captain Rogers," JARVIS greeted as the elevator started going up. "Shall I announce your arrival to anyone?"

"No," Steve waved him off. "Just need a room to crash in for a few hours."

"Of course." JARVIS seemed to hesitate for a moment, which immediately caught Steve's attention, before the A.I. asked, "Would you prefer your regular room, or shall I bring you to the guest floor?"

He froze. Before, JARVIS wouldn't have even needed to ask, just would've brought Steve directly to Hermione's floor. Things were different now though. Despite what Tony had claimed, Steve couldn't help feeling like he should be avoiding Hermione as much as he could. She didn't want him. Maybe that was simplifying things, but he had reached out to her and she had rejected him and Steve still didn't understand why. That didn't mean Steve was going to give up on her, but he also couldn't comfortably be around her right then when all he could do was wonder why.

Why did she push him away?

Why didn't she want to be with him?

Why did she think that he wasn't enough?

Why did she think that _she_ wasn't?

The talk he had been hearing while he was down in the Capitol also didn't help things. Hermione had become very active in all things to do with the Avengers and been spotted in the Triskelion building- which Steve now primarily worked in- multiple times. He hadn't ever seen her when she was down there, but he'd heard Rumlow and Collins mention her multiple times. Nothing was explicitly said but their tone...

Steve was saved from his spiraling thoughts when the elevator doors opened onto Hermione's floor. JARVIS turned on a few lights already so that Steve could comfortably make his way through the apartment and it was clear that Hermione had already gone to bed. He hoped that she was able to sleep soundly- Tony had told him that Hermione's nightmares had been growing more frequent over the past two weeks. Steve remembered what it was like when he and Hermione had first been staying together and knew that, if things got too bad, she would just ignore the problem and push herself as far as she could go until she passed out. It wasn't healthy, but that was how she was used to dealing with things and Hermione wasn't easily reasoned with when she was that exhausted.

Quietly making his way through the living room and down the hall, Steve pushed open the door to his old room and froze. There was someone asleep in the bed. Hermione had a guest.

Not that it meant anything bad. There was a person asleep in here, not with Hermione in her own bed. And he had told her that it was fine to let people stay in there- that she didn't need to keep it as his room.

But it was _his _room. It was proof that he still had a place in her life, that he would always be welcomed with open arms. A physical representation that she wanted him there.

The light suddenly turned on overhead. When Steve's eyes adjusted to the sudden change, he saw Hermione sitting upright in the bed and staring at him in surprise. "Steve?"

"Hey," he greeted awkwardly. "I, uh, didn't expect to find you in here."

Hermione ran her fingers through her hair. "Tony was in my room and got grease on my sheets. I put them in the wash, but I was too lazy to actually put new sheets on my bed so I just came in here to sleep. Are you... are you staying the night here? Or, what's left of it?"

Steve nodded. "Was hoping to. I'll just have JARVIS take me to any empty room since-"

"You don't have to go," Hermione blurted out and then blushed. "I... I can just go put fresh sheet on my bed and you can sleep here like you always do. Provided you don't mind the fact that I was sleeping here for a bit, of course. Or I can just sleep on the couch."

"I'm not gonna make you sleep on the couch," he stated firmly, sounding almost offended that she'd suggest the idea.

Smothering down a small smile, Hermione pointed out, "You're far too big to be able to sleep comfortably on the couch."

Running a hand through his hair, Steve tried to reassure her, "It's fine, I can just go crash in a guest room."

Hermione blamed her lack of sleep for what she next suggested. "Don't be silly, Steve- this is your room. Just... I'll..." She glanced around the room before finally sliding over and pulling back the covers on the empty side of the bed.

When Steve just gapped at her, she defensively stated, "It's late, we're both exhausted, and tomorrow is probably going to be a very trying day- we both need our rest. And it's not as though this bed isn't big enough for the both of us."

Biting his lip, Steve finally gave a jerky nod and moved to set his bag down in the corner and kicking off his shoes- the sweatpants and shirt he was currently wearing would be fine to sleep in. Steve laid down on the bed, entire body stiff and ready to leap back up at a moment's notice. Hermione slowly relaxed back down, curling up on her side facing towards Steve as the light turned back off. They lay in silence for several long moments, each wanting to say something but neither knowing how to start.

Finally, Hermione couldn't take it anymore. "I'm hiding things from you."

He didn't say anything- didn't react at all- for several heartbeats, before he finally rolled over to look at her. "Why are you telling me that?"

Swallowing hard, Hermione haltingly explained, "I don't want to lie to you. When we first started getting to know one another- when we found ourselves in this strange new world- and had trouble understanding what was real and what was not, we swore we wouldn't lie to one another. I won't break that promise. But sooner, rather than later, you're going to ask me something that I won't be able to answer. So, I want you to know that, when I refuse to tell you anything, it's because I refuse to lie to you."

The tension fell away from Steve. This was Hermione- this was the girl he recognized. "I prefer you saying nothing at all than having you be dishonest."

Hermione's face scrunched up as she tried to hold back her tears. "You're going to hate me when you find out everything. But know that everything I'm doing right now, I'm doing it to save you. To save all of you."

Lifting his hand, Steve brushed away a few of her tears. "What the hell have you gotten yourself into?" he murmured.

Covering his hand with hers, she responded, "I have to keep you safe. I have to. You and Tony and Pepper and… you're my people. And I'm so tired of losing people. I can't lose any more."

"That goes both ways, doll. I won't lose you either. I will always fight to keep you safe, even if it's just from those demons in your head you're battling with."

"And what would you know of my demons, Steven Grant?" Hermione sniffled.

"That they're pretty similar to my own. They're telling you that it's all on you, that you have to be the one doing all the dirty work so that others don't have to. That if you make even one mistake, everyone will be gone and it'll be all your fault." Hermione's hand squeezed on his and Steve's heart clenched. "You're the one who spent months knocking those thoughts out of my head- least I can do is try to do the same for you."

"What if you're wrong?" she whispered. "What if it is all on me?"

Steve shook his head. "You can't live your life like that. We're all people, we all make our own choices. Sometimes those choices end up being wrong, but that doesn't make them any less ours."

Hermione slowly felt herself relax. This companionship was what she had been missing most these past few months. "I'm sorry," she told him abruptly.

"For what?" he murmured, also relaxing.

"For saying no. For hurting you. This isn't what I wanted but it's… I can't…"

His hand shifted from her face then, sliding down to her waist and pulling her in gently to his chest. Burying his face in her hair, Steve told her, "It was bad timing. I shouldn't have said anything right then- I know that now. You were dealing with so much already and I just added on."

"It was just too much," she sighed in agreement.

They laid in silence for a long moment before Steve spoke again. "You said once that the reason you never would have even tried to have anything with Ron was because you believe that a relationship is nothing without trust. That there couldn't be any secrets, that you couldn't be lying to one another about anything. And that, if you were to start with him, there would always be a wall of secrets there because you would never be able to tell him everything. You still believe that? The no secrets thing, I mean."

She nodded. "I do. I can't be in a relationship with someone if I'm not in a position to be able to be completely open with them. It wouldn't be right."

Finally, all the questions that had been rocking around in his head died down. "Will you be honest with me eventually?"

"I hope so. I really do." Hermione curled up against Steve, the feeling of complete safety that his presence gave her seeping into her bones. She felt sleepy again. "I hope my life won't forever feel like a lie."

"Is that how you see it?" Steve whispered, having felt her relax and heard the sleepiness in her voice. "It that how it feels?"

Hermione didn't answer, having already fallen back asleep.

* * *

"Pepper," Mia sighed into the phone, sitting back in her seat and burrowing into her leather jacket. "It's fine. I understand why you couldn't come- you don't need to keep apologizing. I'm not upset with you."

"_I just feel bad," _Pepper repeated for the thousandth time. _"I wanted to go with you- I promise that I fully intended to join you guys. If this emergency hadn't happened, I would be there."_

"You are the CEO of one of the largest corporations," Mia reminded the other woman, glaring at Tony when he looked from his StarkPad to smirk at her. "You're one of the most intelligent, capable women I've ever known. You can't be expected to anticipate everything though. Please stop beating yourself up over this."

Steve came over to sit in the seat in front of her, passing the brunette a bottle of juice with a small grin and a wink. Glancing at the label on it, Mia realized that it was one of the flavors they'd shared that first night when they'd really started to get to know one another. Back when both of them had thought themselves to be so old and jaded when really, they were far younger and more innocent than they currently were.

Pepper finally started to calm down. _"Well, at least Steve was able to come with you. God knows I love Tony, but he's not always the best emotional support- especially in situations like this."_

"You're not wrong," Mia agreed. "Though I'm sure Tony would argue with you about that until he was blue in the face."

Now that they were talking about him, Tony couldn't help but throw himself into the conversation. "What would I argue with you about? What could Pepper have possibly said that would be worth fighting over? Did she not go into enough detail about how handsome I am? How magnificently funny and amazing I can be? How much my intellect has been a gift to mankind?"

Mia stared blandly at him. "She thinks that your attitude combined with your goatee makes you look like the Devil. The fact that your favorite color is red really doesn't help with that idea either, does it?"

Tony made a face at her as Steve tried to smother a laugh.

"Lies!" Tony declared loudly. "Pepper loves my goatee! She likes how it feels when I-"

"_Tony!" _Pepper shouted loud enough for everyone to hear, having apparently heard him.

Glancing over at the screen mounted at the front of the cabin, Mia interrupted. "Pepper, we're about to land so I should probably let you go."

With one last apology that Mia brushed aside, Pepper ended the call.

"_We are now beginning our decent,"_ the pilot announced and Mia flinched.

Steve saw her reaction and reached out to take her hand. He didn't say anything though and for that, Mia was beyond grateful. She wouldn't know what she would have said to him if he had.

"You don't have to do this," Tony reminded her softly, stance tense. "I'm sure they would understand if you needed more time."

Mia shook her head. "It's been over 15 years, Tony. They deserve..." she trailed off for a moment and then regained her composure. "I need this. I can't put it off forever. It wouldn't be right."

The trio sat in silence as the plane smoothly landed at the airport and pulled into a private hanger.

"Happy's going to annoyed that we came here without him," Tony threw out at random, trying to lighten the mood.

"You didn't tell him where we were going?" Steve asked.

"Of course not," the other man responded, looking at Steve like he was surprised that the question even had to be asked. "Then he would have wanted to come. Didn't tell Rhodey either."

"Because you like riling up the man or because he still absolutely despises me?" Mia asked as she grabbed her purse and package and headed toward the plane door.

"He doesn't despise you!" her brother protested. "He just... doesn't like you as a human being."

Mia turned to stare at him. "Do you not know what despise means?"

"Why doesn't he like you?" Steve asked Hermione, confused as to why he hadn't heard anything about this before.

Tony answered before Hermione could. "Because he knows that I never had a younger sister so he's suspicious of where she came from. Probably didn't help that I didn't actually tell him anything about her before the official announcement went out. Also might have something to do with the fact that I was ducking his calls for a while before he finally showed up and immediately picked a fight with Mia- who, for all her talk about taking the high road, had no hesitation about starting shit with him."

"He accused me of being-" she glanced over at Steve then and quickly changed course. "Colonel Rhodes is just looking out for Tony, something I can appreciate and respect. As I also love Tony and do not want to put him in the middle of our bickering, I've found it best if the Colonel and I don't spend much time together."

Steve continued to frown. "He doesn't know about your... past? You don't trust him?"

"Rhodey is completely trustworthy!" Tony protested, but Mia just shrugged.

"No, I don't. I know he's your friend, Tony, but this is also the man who stole one of your suits and handed it off to the military against your express wishes because he was ordered to. Yes, I know there were extenuating circumstances- I know that you two were having issues- but all that incident really shows is that Rhodey is willing to betray you in order to follow orders- that's how much faith he's put into this institution that we all know has many issues." Glancing over at Steve, she added, "You were a soldier, Steve- you also have a respect towards higher ranks. But tell me, if someone like your old Colonel had ordered you to do something that would betray my trust, would you do it?"

He didn't even hesitate. "No, I wouldn't."

Tony was tense beside them, quickening his pace so that he was ahead of them as they walked towards a dark SUV. "Rhodey didn't do anything to betray me," he muttered.

Mia stared sadly at his back. "Do you feel that way because you truly don't think he did anything wrong, or because you're so used to people betraying you that you can't even recognize the wrongness of it anymore?"

Stopping at the car, Tony turned to look at his sister and couldn't help lashing out. "Is this just you projecting your issues on me? You trusted Potter and Weasel over and over again even when they hurt you because you were scared of being alone- of being a friendless, know-it-all, nerd. You're the one who got so used to betrayal that it didn't even bother you by the end."

"Tony!" Steve reprimanded.

"You're not wrong," Mia admitted, seeming unbothered by her brother's attack. "I am worried that your relationship with Rhodey is as unhealthy as mine was with Harry and Ron. But you are mistaken about it not bothering me - about my ignoring it just out of fear. I saw it, saw them, for what they were, but I ignored it because I always thought there were bigger issues to be dealt with. I didn't think I was enough of a priority, but I know better now. I matter, Tony, and so do you. You don't have to agree with my thoughts, but please don't begrudge my worrying about you. Don't resent me for caring about your wellbeing."

Shoulders slumping, Tony rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm sorry," he started.

She held up a hand to stop him. "Don't. It's not necessary. Just think about what I've said, alright?" Mia walked around to the other side of the car and opened the door, sliding into the backseat.

Steve stared Tony down. "That was out of line. I get that you're mad, Stark, but she's only trying to help."

Tony just stared at Steve. "Rhodey is my friend."

"And that's fine, but you can't make him and Hermione get along. If they don't want to be friendly then they don't have to. It's their choice and you shouldn't try and force them to act a different way just because you want it."

"You're not going to try and tell me that I should listen to Mia? That she might be right?"

Shrugging, Steve admitted, "That would be hypocritical. If it were one of my friends, I wouldn't stop associating with them just because someone else told me to. Not my place to tell you what to do- you have to do what you think is right." Nudging Tony out of the way, Steve opened the passenger door and got into the car.

After a few long moments of staring blankly at the ground, Tony slowly walked around the car and got into the driver's seat.

The drive had been filled with silence- Tony hadn't even bothered turning on the radio.

Tensions were running high. Tony knew that Mia had been stressing about this trip for weeks. She'd done her best to hide it, throwing herself into the many projects and organizations she was a part of. She did her best to act normal, to pretend that everything was okay, but Tony knew better. Of all people, Tony knew just how hard this was for her.

He didn't know why Mia had decided that now was the time to come here. But, when she had asked him if she could borrow the jet, Tony had immediately invited himself along. He wasn't going to make her face this alone. And though Tony would never admit it, he was glad that Steve had joined them. Tony was just self-aware enough to know that emotionally stunted barely covered what his issue was, and he was glad that Steve would also be there to help make sure Mia had the support she needed.

Turning off the main street onto a narrow lane, Tony heard Mia's sharp inhale as they took in the scenery. "You okay?" he asked, fingers tightening on the wheel.

"I'm fine," she murmured, and he glanced back at her in the review mirror. Mia's expression was tight, eyes filled with fear.

"We don't have to do this," he reminded her, though he knew she wasn't going to budge. "We can just go to the beach or something. Stop by a pastry shop and see how many of those tiny cookie things the Invincible Gut here can eat before he gets indigestion."

"No, Tony," Mia sighed. "No more running."

"It's only running if you think it is. It could also be considered a strategic retreat."

He could feel his sister's glare boring into the back of his head. "Must you keep saying things that make no real sense?"

"Yes," Steve muttered. Once Tony had pulled to the side of the lane and turned off the car, he jumped out and opened the door for Hermione. "You okay?" he whispered.

Shrugging off her jacket and placing it gently on the seat next to her, Hermione collected her things and slid out of the car. "I'm alright, Steve. Really." She knew why he was worried and even appreciated that he cared so much, but it was too late to turn back now.

It was time to face what she had done all those years ago.

Leading the way up the sidewalk, Hermione focused on keeping her breathing even. Steve and Tony walked behind her, remaining silent. Finding what she was looking for, Hermione stopped before two headstones. It was fitting to her, coming to see them on this day. This was the anniversary of the day that Hermione Granger had died. There were pictures and books documenting the life of Hermione Granger- immortalizing the girl they thought she used to be- but before her was the truest testament of her past self.

Kneeling down, Hermione set the flowers she had brought from New York on the ground. "Hi Mum," she greeted softly. "Hi Dad."

Her throat felt choked up and she desperately tried to think of something to say. There was really only one thing she could think of as she traced her fingers over the wrong names engraved in marble.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

* * *

"_Wait," Maria froze, coffee pot in hand. "You have a kid? You?"_

_Carol ducked her head and nodded. This had been her greatest secret for most of her life- the existence of Mia. She had never told her closest friend, her sister, about the daughter she had given up for adoption all those years ago. The shame she had felt upon seeing Maria with Monica had stayed her tongue._

_Here was another single mom, fighting her way through the ranks of the Air Force without any support. Despite the fact that she had to have known that it would be hard enough to join up just because of the fact that she was a woman, Maria had kept Monica and raised her to be as strong and independent as her mom. Carol, on the other hand, had given up her baby and forced herself to never look back._

_The shame she was feeling must have been reflected in her eyes because Maria quickly set the pot down and walked over to table, sitting down across from Carol. "Hey." She grabbed Carol's hand. "Talk to me."_

_Taking a shaky breath, Carol let the words pour out of her. She talked about meeting a man in a bar and having a one-night stand, the fear she had felt when she realized she'd missed her period, and the decision Carol had finally made. Carol told Maria about how the father had begged her not to abort the baby and then helped to find a couple that could raise the child in their stead even though Carol could see how much it killed him to have to let their little girl go before they even really had a chance to know her._

_Carol even told her about the shame she had felt upon meeting Maria and Monica and admitted the agony she had felt watching Maria live the life that Carol had thrown away._

"_My baby grew up without me. My little girl suffered because of the choice I made and by the time I had found her again, it felt like it was too late. I gave her up because I thought I would fail her if I ended up keeping her and, instead, it turns out I failed her because I let her go."_

_Maria hadn't let go of her hand the entire time Carol talked and she ached in response to the pain in her best friend's voice. "You couldn't have known."_

"_I could of, if I had ever bothered to check on her. But I didn't. Instead, her father was the one to find her and save her. If it wasn't for him, I would have lost her before I even got the chance to to know her." Carol felt tears trailing down her cheeks. "I'm sorry I lied to you."_

_Maria took a deep breath. "I'm not gonna lie and pretend that it doesn't hurt to know that you kept something so big from me, but I get why you did it." Sitting back in her seat, Maria let her friend have a moment to calm down. "But, now that I do know, I only have one question for you."_

_She couldn't help tensing. "Yeah, what's that?"_

"_When do I get to meet them? And who is going to tell Monica that she's got a cousin she hasn't met? Because let's be honest, that is not going to be pretty."_

* * *

**Please a review on your way out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N): Hey! Hope everyone is having an enjoyable weekend! Or, at the very least, a super relaxing one. I definitely hurt my hip being stupid on Thursday so I've been doing my best to just chill and not make any sudden movements.**

**Gratitude goes to uwishuwerecool, moozga, Alyxia, peachx89, aiyaiy13, aromatictruth, TrueHeir, Sora Loves Rain, Silas Serenity, bookluver45679, sisselina, Westcoast222, Najada, R-E-B-E-C, NYFanFic, lilphipp, Adharablack85-2, Astral chronicles, Catzandbookz8, and Guests for reviewing! You guys are the best and I love you!**

**This chapter is unbetaed so any mistakes are all on me. Unfortunately.**

**I really hope you guys like this chapter and the people who show up in it. Or, at the very least, I hope you don't hate it. Just trying to set myself some reasonable expectations.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Loki walked into the throne room with Thor by his side, head held high despite the chains binding his hands and feet._

_He had no shame or regrets for what he'd done. Loki would do it all over again- would do whatever he had to in order to protect his daughter._

_Frigga stood at the bottom of the stairs leading to Odin's throne, watching Loki with sad eyes. "Loki," she greeted softly._

"_Hello, Mother," he returned. Despite his desire to keep himself calm and in control, he couldn't stop the bitterness inside him from prodding, "Have I made you proud?"_

"_Please," she whispered. "Don't make this worse."_

_**Worse? **__Loki had been ripped away from his daughter again- could still feel her pain at their separation mingling with his own and settling into his bones. He had been captured and tortured at the hands of Thanos, turned into a puppet and then unleashed on the world his daughter called home. His family, who he had tried so hard to hide the existence of his daughter from, now knew of Mia._

_One of his own nightmares was now making itself a reality and all he could do was watch._

"_Define worse?" he spat._

"_Enough!" Odin ordered. "I will speak to the prisoner alone."_

_To Loki's surprise, Thor stepped forward then. "With all due respect," he started, voice strong and loud enough to carry throughout the room. "I believe that this is a family matter."_

"_You dare challenge your king?" roared Odin, leaning forward and fixing his one good eye on his son._

_Not even flinching at his father's rage, Thor answered, "I believe that there are things you do not know but need to in order to properly understand just what occurred."_

"_You believe I to be ignorant?" Odin hissed. "You think I am not already aware of what you wish to speak of? I know all about Loki's child- the daughter he tried to keep hidden from us."_

_Loki's stomach dropped._

"_Loki was only concerned for her safety," Thor argued. "He was doing his best to protect her."_

"_From his own family?" the Allfather countered. "His actions do not speak of protectiveness but instead reek of shame!"_

_Despite his need to argue- to explain just how proud and in awe he was of the woman he had helped raise- Loki remained silent. There was no need for him to give Odin any more ammunition, for Thor was sure to hand out enough of that just by being his witless self._

_Taking a deep breath, Thor slowly spoke. "Though I do love our culture and our people, even you must know what kind of response there would have been had word gotten out that Loki had a child. Looking back now, I can see how poorly we allowed him to be treated and what our people have always thought of him. Either they would have looked at such a joyous gift with distain or with fear. I understand why he would decide not to tell us, and I am sure that you can as well."_

"_She is family," Frigga said quietly, eyes still locked on Loki's face. "We would have loved and cared for her if only we had been given the opportunity to."_

_Loki's control finally snapped. "She is not your family! None of you have any claim to her!" His chains rattled as his volume increased. "You all would have just used her as a pawn in your games if the benevolent Allfather had not had her killed outright due to fear of a prophecy that none of you are even intelligent enough to truly understand."_

"_Ah yes, the prophecy." Odin sat back in his throne. "'The child of Loki shall bring an end to the King's tyranny'. Is that why you hid her from us, Loki? Is that at the root of all this?"_

"_Prophecy's can be misleading," Thor argued. "Their meanings are often lost in their interpretations."_

"_True, but as prophecy's go, this one is rather simple, is it not?"_

_He had had enough. "If I am for the axe, then for mercy's sake, just swing it. It's not that I don't love our little talks, it's just… I don't love them." He could feel Mia and Carol's worry as they felt his rage and fear, and he did his best to shield as much of his emotions from them as he could._

"_Frigga is the only reason you are still alive," Odin told him solemnly, glancing at his wife. "And you will never see her again. You will spend the rest of your days in the dungeon."_

_Loki mentally snorted in amusement. He may be banished to the dungeons for the time being, but he knew he would not remain there for long. Sooner or later, Carol would come to free him. They had things that needed to be done in the universe outside Asgard- monsters to face so that their daughter need not. _

_It was only a matter of time._

* * *

_I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry._

_I'm so sorry._

_Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry-_

"I'm so sorry," Hermione choked out again. Her parents- her first parents, that had raised a precocious, self-righteous little girl to the best of their abilities- were gone. Had left this world without the memories of the thing they had always claimed was their greatest pride and joy.

What would they have said, if they had gotten their memories of her back? Would they have still loved her? Would they have hated her for what she had done to them?

Would they have ever forgiven her?

No, probably not.

Leaning forward so that her forehead was centimeters above the ground, Hermione finally allowed herself to mourn. She had spent a year holding it together, forcing herself to focus on moving forward and never on what had used to be. Focused on her new life and her new identity as Mia Stark and ignored everything associated with Hermione Granger. The past was gone after all, and no amount of tears would bring it back. Now though, she finally let go.

She cried for the family she had lost, the friends that had abandoned her, and the ones that she herself had let go of. Hermione Granger had lived, loved, and lost and now her heart- the heart belonging to the girl she used to be- rested with her parents three meters below.

It was gone, and it was her fault.

_She _was gone, alone, with no one left who really remembered her. No one to remember what she had been like the first time growing up- to share those memories with. No one who truly remembered how much she had struggled for so many years. All that remained of her past was a legacy that had been stained so much it resembled nothing of who she used to be.

Steve and Tony stood back, both feeling helpless as they watched her sob in front of them. Her grief reminded them of their own- of the people they had lost and the possibilities that had been ripped away.

Footsteps coming from behind them caused both men to turn in unison. Hermione didn't look up, too lost in her pain.

"See, Draco," came a light and airy voice. "The star's whispers brought us to the correct place."

The words ripped through Hermione's grief and she froze, eyes snapping open to stare at the ground.

A male voice swore. "We shouldn't be here," he hissed.

Standing up, Hermione turned to face the last two people she was expecting to run into anywhere, let alone here.

"Hello, Hermione," greeted an older Luna Lovegood standing next to a man who could only be Draco Malfoy. "I'm glad to see you doing so well; the wrackspurts have finally gone away it seems."

Hermione stared at Luna and Malfoy. Out of everyone in the Wizarding World that she could have run into by happenstance, these two were the last ones she'd ever expected to meet. Especially not _here_, in Australia, standing in front of her parent's graves.

"We come here every year," Luna said after a long minute of silence, voice still as dreamy as it had been while they were in Hogwarts. "We always bring flowers in thanks."

"On the eve of Hermione's death," Tony said lowly, glaring at Draco. He _knew _that name. "You come visit the Granger's graves and leave flowers?"

"It seemed the better alternative," Malfoy muttered, doing his best not to look at anyone. "More fitting than going to the celebration the Ministry always holds at least."

Her stomach dropped. "Ministry celebration?" Hermione asked, stepping past Tony and Steve and stopping a meter away from the two. "Celebration for what?"

"For the most noblest sacrifice of the Brightest Muggleborn Witch of Her Generation," Malfoy sneered. "Basically, the Ministry decided that it would be better to celebrate that you died rather than acknowledge that they couldn't have cared less about your fate when you were living."

"Harry and Ron started a foundation in your name," Luna stated, though there was an odd note in her voice that Hermione had never heard from her before. "They have a ball in order to raise money for it."

"What kind of charity?" Steve asked, stepping forward to rest a hand on Hermione's back in a silent show of support.

Malfoy studied him. "Supposedly, the money is used to give scholarship's to Muggleborn's to help support them throughout their Hogwart's career."

"Supposedly," Hermione repeated dully.

"Considering how few Muggleborn's there actually are now in Britain, one has to wonder what the money the charity is receiving is actually going towards." Malfoy rocked back and forth on his feet, expression clearly displaying his desire to be elsewhere.

"Not that this isn't a great conversation to be having in this location," interrupted Tony, who was still glowering at the blond wizard. "But I'm still not sure what exactly you're doing here."

Luna turned her large blue eyes on him. "We're here to pay our respects." Stepping forward, she placed the bouquet of flowers on top of the Wilkins' tombstone. "What better way is there to celebrate Hermione's life than to thank the people who raised her?"

Against her will, Hermione's eyes welled with tears again. Luna had always had a knack for seeing the world in an unusual way. It shouldn't have surprised her that Luna would think the same as her- that Luna would choose the best way to remember the girl from before.

"And why are you here?" demanded her brother to Malfoy. He couldn't believe the nerve of the man, to visit the parents of the girl he had tormented for years and watched be tortured in his home.

"I…" Malfoy was oddly hesitant for a moment before pulling himself together, expression turning blank. "I wanted to pay my respects. I shouldn't have come though."

As he started to turn away, Hermione stopped him. "Why?" she croaked. "Why would you want to pay your respects?"

He stopped and looked back at her. "Because I was wrong. I was wrong, and the best way I could think of to show how sorry I am was to come here and show respect to the exact people I made the mistake of looking down on for far too long. If I had known you were here though, I wouldn't have visited today."

"Why?" Steve asked. "Don't you think Hermione is the one who really deserves an apology from you?"

"Of course," Malfoy snapped. "But just because I'm feeling bad and want to say sorry doesn't mean I have any right to force my presence here." Taking a deep breath, he met Hermione's steady gaze. "You have every right to hate me. There's no reason for you to listen to my apology and I have no right to try and force you to hear it in order to make myself feel better. If I tried to stand here and make you listen to what I had to say, then I would still be nothing more than that boy who hated you for having the gall to exist."

Hermione just stared at the blond wizard. It was strange. She had seen Harry- she had known that the people in her old life had grown older while she had seemingly stayed the same age- but this?

Draco Malfoy hadn't just grown older- he had actually grown _up_.

She cleared her throat. "Perhaps this discussion would best be had over tea."

Everyone stared at her in surprise- except for Luna. "Yes, that does sound nice," the blond woman nodded in agreement, her earrings- which appeared to have dangling pieces of okra hanging from them- swinging along.

"I'm sorry, I think you mean that it sounds awful," Tony fired back. "Just horrible, really."

"Then perhaps you should refrain from thinking," Hermione told him, arching an eyebrow.

Tony frowned at her. "That would be an option except someone took away all my good drugs."

"Because _someone _found you in the lab on the second of February at 2:22 a.m. declaring that it was a magical time and that you needed to build your own fire breathing dragon because Iron Man needed a sidekick that matched the awesomeness of your suit or some such nonsense," Hermione scoffed.

"Seriously?" Steve chuckled.

Hermione nodded solemnly. "It was not a good night."

"I wouldn't want to impose," Draco said slowly, looking uncharacteristically unsure.

"I wouldn't have invited you if it were an imposition," she told him evenly, though even she wasn't sure if that was true. However, it had been 15 years now since they last saw one another and this was a conversation long overdue.

* * *

"How many people actually believe that I'm alive?" Hermione asked, turning her cup round and round in her hand.

"Not many," Malfoy snorted, leaning back in his seat at the small café they had found a few blocks from the cemetery. "But I believe that has more to do with the fact that Potter has been keeping quiet about you than anything else. Word of your return has been filtering around to many of the magical communities of course, but the Ministry has been silent."

"Why?" Tony snarked, placing his arm on the back of Hermione's chair. "Worried about what will happen when she comes back and starts telling the truth?"

"Yes," Luna answered, gazing at Hermione closely. "With the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts so close, _The Daily Prophet _has published many articles about Harry's defeat of Voldemort and several interviews with him and Ron."

Hermione nodded, a bitter grin appearing on her face. "I see. Shoring up the story they want told so that no one would believe me even if I did reappear and start telling the truth."

"It's not a bad plan," Malfoy allowed. "Or, it wouldn't be if they weren't dealing with you." When Hermione raised a brow at him in question, Malfoy smirked. "Walking into Wizarding Britain and shouting the truth is the equivalent of breaking into a home by kicking down the front door. It's very obvious and _very _Gryffindor. And not your style at all. You wouldn't go that route unless you felt like you'd been backed into a corner- like with Skeeter in our fifth year. The interview may have been your idea, but you only did it because it was the best plan you had."

Taking a moment to let that sink in, Hermione felt a pang of sadness at the fact that Draco Malfoy, her childhood enemy, knew her better than her former best friends. "I never blamed you," she said abruptly.

Malfoy flinched away from her and Hermione sighed. "I never blamed you," she repeated gently. "What happened to me was horrid and awful, but it wasn't your fault."

Staring down at his cup, Malfoy softly replied, "When I was first Marked, I was so proud. I supported the Dark Lord's cause completely- I truly thought you were less than me. I may have eventually seen the truth, but that doesn't make up for the way I behaved during our school years. It doesn't change the hurt I caused while doing his bidding."

With a shake of her head, Hermione told him, "You were a product of your upbringing. You were taught by your parents that Muggles and Muggleborns were lesser because of their blood and you believed them because they were your parents and you trusted them. You looked up to them, admired them, so of course they were right about this- of course they weren't mistaken or wrong. And then you arrived at Hogwarts and met me- a bossy, overbearing, overconfident Muggleborn that defied all your expectations. Not only was I annoying, but I also was proof that everything you thought you knew was wrong so of course you hated me. I'm not saying that your behavior was acceptable, but I understand it."

"I'm sure you weren't that bad," Steve softly protested, but Hermione didn't turn her gaze away from the rapidly paling, blond wizard.

"Yes, I was. I was a nightmare and you, Malfoy, were a bully. But we're not those people anymore. You're not that person anymore, Malfoy. Because if you were, you wouldn't be here."

"Maybe not," he allowed, "but I'm still a former Death Eater, and I always will be. And no behavior on your part justifies how I acted."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That may be true but, let's be honest, you weren't a very good Death Eater. And I'm not sure how much the fact that you joined really counts for, considering the fact that you became a Death Eater in order to protect your mother."

"She's right," Luna agreed, bobbing her head as she took a sip of tea. "You weren't a very good Death Eater."

The blond managed to pull a genuine smile from Hermione. Malfoy, however, seemed to just grow more tense. "I could have found a different option."

Steve studied the other man, trying to match the stories Hermione had told him to the person sitting in front of them. "From what I understand," he finally said, when it looked like Hermione was going to move from speaking to Malfoy to smacking Malfoy, "you only had a variety of bad options. You chose the best one available- the one that would truly protect your mother."

"If it had been me," Hermione said, voice soft and low, "I would have done the exact same thing because family is _everything_, and I would have- and will do- whatever is needed to keep mine safe."

Blinking rapidly, Malfoy softly asked, "It's taken me years to work through everything. Why do you seem so... alright, after only a year?" When Hermione just gave him a small, mysterious smile, his eyes narrowed. "From your appearance, it seems as though you've barely aged at all since you disappeared- it's why everyone is saying that you either time travelled or were put into a frozen state. But they're wrong, aren't they? You weren't really gone, you just somehow found a way to stopaging."

Hermione ignored his claim. "Draco, it's been 15 years now. I've worked through what happened when we were children and I don't hate you anymore- I honestly never even truly hated you when we were young. Despite what you may think, you weren't the villain in my story."

Tony's hand tightened on her shoulder and Luna stared at them with glittering blue eyes. "Congratulations on finding your brother," she told Hermione. "Mia- meaning wished for or wanted child. Your parents must have loved you very much."

"Or they just already knew you very well," Malfoy muttered, still looking down. "It also means rebellious and vengeful."

"Oh, that does describe her very well then," Luna nodded in agreement.

Malfoy finally met Hermione's gaze again with a faint smirk. "I think Edgecombe would especially agree."

Hermione snorted. "Don't tell me that she hasn't figured out how to undo it."

"Undo what?" Tony asked, curious as to what exactly Mia had done to this Edgecomb person.

"During our fifth year, we had a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor that wasn't actually teaching us any practical magic because she was nothing more than a Ministry lackey and they didn't care if we learned anything as long as they had someone in the school to keep an eye on Dumbledore. A group of us decided to learn on our own without any of the other professors knowing and Marietta Edgecombe was a part of our group," Hermione explained. "She betrayed us though- she told the Dark Arts professor what we were doing and gave her a list of names of who were part of the group."

"And in retaliation," Malfoy picked up, "Granger jinxed her to have large pustules appear on her forehead spelling out the word 'Sneak'."

Steve's eyes widened and he looked over at Hermione in shock while Tony just grinned. "And they never went away?"

"Of course they did," Luna told him. "Now she just has some scarring spelling out the word."

"I shouldn't have had the word 'Sneak' appear," Hermione sighed. Steve had started to nod in agreement when she continued, "I should have used the word 'Snitch'. Much more appropriate."

"Hermione!" Steve rebuked as Tony laughed. Even Malfoy let out a short chuckle.

"I have no regrets for what I've done," Hermione told Steve bluntly.

* * *

The conversation turned to lighter topics. Luna told her that after graduating from Hogwarts, she had gone off to travel the world and met her husband, Rolf Scamander. She had recently given birth to twin boys- Lorcan and Lysander- but that hadn't stopped the couple from continuing to travel the world in search of new magical creatures. Hermione had been delighted to hear how well Luna was doing, though she still privately wondered just how her friendship with Draco had come about, and extracted a promise from Luna that she and her family would visit the next time they were in New York.

After much prodding, Draco had spoken of his life in France and his work with the French Ministry. He also told them about his wife- Daphne Greengrass' younger sister, Astoria- and their son, Scorpious. Tony hadn't been able to stop himself from loudly proclaiming what a terrible name that was and how sorry he felt for the kid.

"It's a Black family tradition," Hermione explained to her brother in exasperation. "All the children are named after stars or constellations. Besides, I've heard other wizarding names that are far worse."

Luna hummed in agreement. "Yes, Ginny always hated her name. Ginerva."

Hermione's face fell. "Yes, I heard that Ginny died at the Final Battle." She and the youngest Weasley may not have been the best of friends, but Hermione was still sad to hear what had happened to her- the Weasley family must have been devastated.

"It's alright, Hermione," Luna told her gently, noticing her sadness. "It was her time. Death is nothing to be afraid of- it's neither good nor evil, it just is."

_Death is what gives life meaning. To know your days are numbered. Your time is short._

Hermione forced a smile but said nothing.

Soon, it was time for Hermione, Steve, and Tony to go. They had to get back to New York and the lives waiting for them.

"Don't forget to visit," Hermione reminded Luna, hugging the blond witch tightly.

"I won't." Pulling away, Luna stared at Hermione with a strange intensity. "It can be easy to try and forget things that hurt us," Luna stated abruptly. "But it's important to always remember. Don't forget who you are, Hermione Granger- there's nothing wrong with being you."

Draco held a hand out to Hermione when she stopped in front of him. "Goodbye, Granger," he said simply. "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again much sooner than either of us would like."

Laughing, Hermione shook his hand. "Goodbye, Malfoy. Hopefully it'll be a good while before we run into one another again."

* * *

When they were finally back on the plane, Hermione sat back in her seat with a sigh. This day had been much more exhausting than she had originally expected it to be. Seeing Luna and Malfoy again- on top of visiting her parents- showed just how much she'd changed.

She should have been past this- moved on from the shock of seeing how far she'd come from her days as Hermione Granger, Brain of the Golden Trio. When she looked in the mirror now, a new person was staring back at her and it was one she liked infinitely better.

Still, the shadow of who she used to be still haunted her. No matter how much she may have tried to say otherwise, Hermione Granger still lived on and her legacy still needed to be dealt with.

Harry and Ron were running a charity… she could, perhaps, see Harry having done something like that given his guilt complex but Ron? No, he had never been the type to help out those less fortunate, probably because he always viewed himself as being one of them. Nothing was ever enough for Ron. It was that fact that worried her.

"You alright?" Steve murmured, sitting down next to her.

Hermione leaned her head back. "I don't know," she admitted. "It was strange seeing them again. They're both so grown up. They have families, careers, lives- if I hadn't disappeared, I might have had all those things too by now. Do you still think about that? What your life could have been if you hadn't crashed the plane?"

Steve grimaced. "Sometimes, but not as often now. I still miss it- how my life used to be and all the people I left behind- but it helps to remind myself that if things hadn't happened the way they did, I wouldn't have the life I do now. And all things considered, I like my life."

"So do I," she agreed, relaxing.

It was silent for a moment before Steve asked, "A fire-breathing dragon?"

"It was a bad night," Hermione sighed. "And yet, it was not the strangest night I've ever had with Tony."

"I don't think I wanna know," he laughed.

* * *

_Mia stared around the room in confusion. She was back in her childhood home- the one Carol and Loki had made for them. Her parents were nowhere in sight though._

"_Hello," came a soft voice from behind her and Mia spun around. "I have been most anxious to meet you."_

_Studying the woman closely, it took Mia only moments to figure out who she was. Clenching her hands together, she spat, "You don't belong here."_

_Frigga just smiled. "At first glance, the resemblance between you and Loki is not as obvious but looking closer-"_

"_You need to leave. Now." Mia was almost shaking with rage. This woman had invaded her home- her safe place- and didn't even have the decency to appear even slightly apologetic. "How did you even…" she trailed off, realizing what had happened._

_Her shields had slipped. After the stress of the day, her mind had slipped in her sleep._

"_Did Loki not speak of me?" Frigga frowned._

_Barking a laugh, Mia asked, "Are you really so surprised? Are you so shocked that here, in our sanctuary- the place my parents ensured would be a safe, happy home- that my father wouldn't wish to speak of anything related to his life in Asgard?"_

_Sighing, Frigga started, "I am aware that Loki looks back on his childhood with anger, but I had hoped that he would have told you some of your heritage."_

"_And what heritage is that? One of lies and warfare? Of bigotry and hatred?" Mia stared past Frigga for a moment, looking at a picture on the wall. It was one of her and her parents- the first one of them together. It had been taken moments after she was born. Mia was swaddled in Carol's arms and Loki was sitting beside them on the hospital bed. Her parents looked so heartbroken yet also so happy and loving. She didn't know where the physical copy of that photo was, but Mia was dying to get her hands on it._

"_My father," she continued slowly, "is one of the best men I know. He is brave, loyal, smart, and loving. I am the person I am today because of his guiding hand. But Odin never saw that. All he saw was a disappointment. And you, you who claim to love him, all you ever did was stand aside and watch. Watch as Odin berated him for not being an exact replica of Thor, as he made my father feel weak and stupid. You would wipe his tears and say encouraging words, but not once did you ever stand up to Odin and actually protect him." Frigga stared at her, eyes wide._

"_Parents are supposed to protect their children. My parents would burn the universe to the ground to save me- my mother risked everything to find me when the Chitauri attacked Midgard even though she was on the other side of the galaxy. When compared to her, what could my father possibly have had to say about you- a woman who protected him from no one and simply stood and watched as the people of Asgard looked down on him- that would have meant anything to me?"_

"_I am your grandmother," the other woman said softly. "There may be issues, but we are still family- even if we are not related by blood."_

"_You're right," Mia agreed, hands glowing. "Blood doesn't make a family. But neither does a relation with others- just because you are Loki's mother doesn't make you anything to me. Being a member of my family is something that has to be earned, not just given to you because you wish it. You are not family, just as Thor is not family. You are nothing to me and until you've proven to me that you're worth of being called 'grandmother', that is a title that will never belong to you."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N): Hi. How's it going? Hopefully better for you than it has been for me- this past week was a little soul-sucking, not gonna lie. I am ready for a break.**

**Many thanks to Cassie-011, Alyxia, peachx89, Sora Loves Rain, Breyanaxo, Keira-House M.D., bookluver45679, Westcoast222, Adharablack85-2, Najada, lilphipp, Catzandbookz8, Silas Serenity, alexaguamenti, and Guests for reviewing! I'm glad to see so many of you enjoyed the previous chapter and that you liked that I presented you with a Draco that has undergone extensive amounts of therapy.**

**Now, THIS IS IMPORTANT SO PLEASE EVERYONE READ THIS. Okay, so, confession time: I did a thing. You see, during my break, I might have made the mistake of watching the Marvel Netflix show _The Punisher. _And then I went back to watch season 2 of _Daredevil._ And then my muse did a thing. This is the one thing my friend singingmyheartsong could not talk out of doing. I felt like these character and this storyline NEEDED to be a part of this- especially with how this story is going to go. For those who have seen the shows, hopefully you'll enjoy having it more fully brought into the MCU and being able to see these characters again. Fair warning: I had to give up on figuring out the actual timeline for the show. It was just such a mess that I decided to just do whatever I wanted. For those who haven't, you do not need to watch the show in order to understand things. I promise. _There will be references to Daredevil Season 2 in this chapter_. I have (hopefully) given enough information though that you'll be fine. Either way, please trust that I know what I'm doing. I am not just bringing this in to fill space. I am not adding this show for fun. I am doing this because it is important for Hermione's development in the future.**

**Alright, now that we got that out of the way. This chapter is still unbetaed because I don't have one so any mistakes are on me.**

**I really do hope you guys enjoy this chapter though I do warn you, there is a lot of set up for future things going on. Big events will be happening in the next few chapters.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_One year. That was all the time that he had been granted._

_The past few years had not been kind to him. Since he had returned to Hala in shame, he had been forced to fight his way back into a position of power and strength. He'd had little success in doing so though. Every time another planet was annexed from the Kree Empire, every time a legion of their warriors never returned, he was punished again for failing to do his duty all those years ago._

_It was all her fault. They had taken her in, protected her, helped her become a powerful warrior, and how had she repaid them?_

_She had gone to their greatest enemy- the Nova Empire- and helped them swell in strength and numbers. She'd attacked as many Kree outposts as possible in her bid to destroy everything the Supreme Intelligence had touched. And now, after so many years, she had finally succeeded in carrying through with her threat._

_The Supreme Intelligence was no more._

_And then, not even a day after the Kree had lost their greatest leader, they received a message from her, with the Nova Empires backing._

_**If the Kree Empire does not surrender by this time tomorrow, I will do to you what I did to your precious Supreme Intelligence. Let us know your decision.**_

_If this pathetic halfling thought that she could threaten them without consequences, then she was far less intelligent than he had given her credit for. That mistake was going to cost her dearly._

_After all these years, he would have thought that her attachment to her birth planet would have waned by now. He thought that she would have learned the importance of locking down her emotions and releasing all attachments. Instead, she allowed C-53 to become her greatest weakness._

_He had seen the footage- he knew that she must have been alerted of the Thanos' intentions to attack the planet and come racing to its rescue. One of the greatest challenges they'd had in the past was trying to find her- anticipating where she'd strike next. Now, they didn't need to search for her since they knew just how to summon her to them._

_Once they had her, there would be nothing standing in their way of returning their empire to its former glory. No, he corrected himself, they would make it even greater than it had ever been in the history of the Kree. The Nova Empire would fall before them and then they would move on to attacking the Asgardians. They had always thought themselves better than the Kree- had called them petty, cruel, and savage creatures. As though the Asgardians had no blood on their own hands. As though they hadn't left a trail of destruction in their wake in their thousands of years of existence. The only real difference between the Kree and the Asgardians were that the Kree were always looking to adapt and expand while the Asgardians were content to remain stagnant in their little empire._

"_Sir, we are approaching the jump point."_

_He smiled. It was time._

_He would not fail._

* * *

"I have a meeting with the Mayor this morning at 11 about the upcoming election," Pepper told Mia as she was slipping on her shoes. "Do you plan on joining us?"

Mia looked up from her coffee cup. "Don't tell me he's running for reelection," she scoffed. "After everything that happened with Wilson Fisk, does he really think that he's going to be in office for another term?"

Not long after the Battle of New York, a businessman by the name of Wilson Fisk become a major player in the city. Fisk was generally seen as a quiet, withdrawn man but one who could be very persuasive and charismatic when it suited him. He had gone relatively unnoticed for quite some time, bringing numerous police officers, city officers, and even local FBI agents onto his payroll in order to keep his activities hidden. Fisk had first come to Mia's attention when his company- Union Allied Construction- had been granted the government contracts for rebuilding Hell's Kitchen after the battle. Money had come pouring into the city and, since a large part had come from Stark Industries, Mia was given a position on the committee overseeing the reconstruction efforts in Pepper's place.

Most other members on the committee had immediately liked him but Mia had always felt there was something off about him. She couldn't say what exactly it was about him that had set her on edge, but a nagging sense of wrongness had creeped its way into her mind. Perhaps it was in the way he spoke about _cleaning up _the city- how it sounded less about rebuilding and more about tearing things down. Or, perhaps it was the way he twitched whenever he was spoken to by someone with a tone. She'd had JARVIS digging into his information when the Union Allied scandal had broken in the _New York Bulletin _and everyone discovered that it was a front for money laundering. After that, she and JARVIS had done a deep search of anything even remotely related to Fisk and started to compile evidence against him on their own.

That was the start of the end for Wilson Fisk. As more and more crimes were brought to light that could be tied back to his name, Fisk had found himself backed into a corner. He hadn't gone quietly though- he'd turned the city on its head and unveiled the widespread corruption of the justice system before finally being taken out by a vigilante in Hell's Kitchen.

The number of corrupt police officers, civil servants, and Federal agents had been so large that numerous departments weren't even close to being recovered yet. Ever since, Mia had requested JARVIS to continue quietly check into every police officer, federal agent, and city worker's backgrounds to see if they were clean.

It was absolutely an abuse of power- she was well aware of that- but at least the actual federal leaders based in D.C. had done some of the work for her. When the higher-ups figured out what had been going on under their noses, they had been furious. They had done a deep clean of their offices with every corrupt agent being thrown in prison and the remaining agents all being transferred elsewhere for safe measure. All new people were now staffing the local offices and the main headquarters were still watching them closely.

Tony, who was standing next to her at the counter eating a bowl of cereal, swallowed and reminded her, "People have short memories, kid- if he plays his cards right, he could win again."

Mia had no proof that the Mayor knew anything about Fisk's activities, which was the only reason he wasn't rotting in jail alongside Fisk. Her disdain for the man was returned wholeheartedly because she had gone directly to the Feds with proof of Fisk's wrongdoings and a list of corrupt government officials and police officers without alerting the Mayor's office of anything. When the numerous arrests began, the Mayor was blindsided and was still bitter about having been kept in the dark.

Setting her cup down on the counter, Mia smiled pleasantly and said, "Well then, I best go and start getting ready."

As she was leaving the room, she heard Tony saying, "At least she's not going to be making a new enemy today- just reminding an old one that she still owns him."

"Yeah, well, she gets that from you," Pepper retorted.

"Oh no, this level of deviousness is all you," he protested. "That's not really my style."

"Senator Stern," was all Pepper responded with.

The elevator doors opened and Mia stepped in.

"He's a senator though! Her archnemesis is just some lowly city worker!" Tony exclaimed as the doors closed.

_Oh, if only the Mayor was her archnemesis._

* * *

"JARVIS," Mia asked, stepping onto her floor.

"Yes, Miss Stark?"

"Is there anything in the local news I should be made aware of before this meeting?"

"Would you like me to send you the articles for you to read yourself or would you like me to summarize?" the AI asked.

Striding into her bedroom, Mia requested, "Just the summaries please. Though, I may ask for you to pull up the articles later so that I can review them myself if I feel it's necessary."

"Very good, Miss Stark." There was a short pause as JARVIS collected the requested data and filtered through it. "I believe the most relevant pieces of information are about a large number of deaths occurring in Hell's Kitchen, mainly involving members of the Kitchen Irish, the Dogs of Hell, and the Mexican Cartel- though, I have noted that there is also an increase in murders involving other criminals.."

Humming in thought, she asked, "Does the police give any explanation for what they believe is happening?"

"They have stated that they believe these attacks to be a result of gang-on-gang violence. However, it seems that they have received word from the Office of the District Attorney- in this case, Samantha Reyes' office- that these were all the result of one man's actions. That information has caused them to change the direction of their investigations."

Mia paused, holding the suit she'd just pulled out of closet in mid-air and looked up at the ceiling. "JARVIS, did you just hack into police communications?"

"Of course not," he told her, sounding almost offended that she had to ask. "I have been monitoring them since the Fisk scandal, as per your request. All relevant information is noted down for review."

"I see. Let's not admit that to Pepper." Tossing the outfit onto the bed, Mia stripped out of her pajamas. "What else have you discovered?"

"This unknown killer has been given the name The Punisher. It would seem that name was actually given to him by the District Attorney, and the information on who his targets are- the Irish Kitchen, the Mexican Cartel, and the Dogs of Hell- were given to the police by Miss Reyes' office as well. Though, I would image that after the first few attacks, the police would be able to piece together who was being targeted on their own."

Pulling on her pencil skirt, Mia frowned. "That is unusual, isn't it? You said that the District Attorney providing this information is Samantha Reyes? Why is she involving herself in this now? I thought that a D.A. didn't insert themselves into an investigation until there was an actual suspect."

"They generally don't, Miss Stark. Miss Reyes' actions are certainly outside the norm."

Standing in place, Mia ran a hand through her hair as she thought. On the surface, it all looked so innocent- so unimportant. Yet, it was also against expected behavior. Why would a DA have information on a criminal that the police did not? The police initially believed it to be gang violence so what gave Reyes the confidence to say that all these deaths were done by one man? Why would her office even be investigating something like this on their own? "JARVIS, please forward me those articles," she finally decided. "And if you can do so without being detected, please do a deep search into Reyes' background."

"May I ask what you hope to find?"

"Of course, JARVIS- you can always ask me any questions you have. I want you to look into Reyes because I'm concerned that she may be a corrupt official that we missed previously. You've currently been focusing your searches on incoming people, not continuing to look at those we've already cleared."

"Because of the Punisher?"

"Because you just informed me that a D.A. appears to have more information on a supposed killer than the police do and has enough to pull with them to cause them to change the entire direction of their investigations simply by telling them to. She has also given this criminal a title- something that is generally left to the media to do- and with a title like that, I am almost certain that she plans of releasing it to the media herself. A name like The Punisher... it's as though she wants the public to fear him."

It was more than that though. Mia could feel in her bones that there was something wrong here- she had lived through the return of Voldemort, had seen more than her fair share of corruption and coverups, and saw how the press was used as a tool to sway the general public. She knew a smear campaign- a smokescreen- when she saw one, even if it was the very start of one.

"Well, as the biological daughter of Loki, you would be able to spot a manipulation better than most," JARVIS responded with the dry wit that Mia adored. "I will send you the information you've requested as soon as I acquire it."

"I couldn't ask for more. Thank you, JARVIS."

* * *

As she rode the elevator up to Pepper's office, Mia read over the information that JARVIS had started to send her on Samantha Reyes and what little she had already been given did not paint a pretty picture of the District Attorney.

An ADA that took the fall after Reyes mishandled informants in the Teller murder case the previous year. Another ADA by the name of Nicole Kent booted from the DA's office after she failed to quiet the EnSynth scandal. A third worker- Chris Davidson- fired after the State Supreme Court disqualified the entire DA's office from the Pell case due to widespread misconduct.

In every case, it appeared as though Reyes did something wrong but always made sure that someone else took the fall.

"Something wrong?" Pepper asked, having watched Mia's expression grow more and more stormy as she read whatever was on her tablet.

"Yes," Mia said, turning her tablet off. "But I need more information before we can find a solution."

Pepper linked her arm with Mia's, pleased that the younger girl seemed to be automatically including them in her plans. It had taken awhile, but Mia was finally realizing that she didn't have to do things on her own. "Let me know if you need anything."

"I will- you'll certainly be of more help with this than Tony would be. I do believe we have another case of corruption in our local government."

"Of course we do," Pepper sighed as the elevator came to a stop and the stepped off. "Because God forbid that we manage to make it through even a month without finding another trash human being."

"Speaking of trash human beings," Happy started, stepping forward to meet them. "Just got a call from downstairs that the Mayor is on his way up."

Mia smiled brightly at their new Head of Security. "It's things like that that remind me of why you're my favorite."

"Glad to hear it, kid. Also, Pepper, after your meeting, we need to discuss some new security measures for the tower."

"Of course, Happy," Pepper agreed, giving him a slightly strained smile. "Once this is finished."

Once they were settled in the office and Happy was out of hearing, Mia asked, "He still driving you a bit mad?"

"More than a bit," the other woman groaned. "This is getting out of hand. You know how many complaints we've gotten about him in the month since he got the job?"

"He's just trying to keep us safe, Pepper," Mia laughed. "After everything that's happened, can you truly blame him for being a bit overzealous?"

When Charles Wessling strode into the office a minute later, both Pepper and Mia stood up to greet him. However, while Pepper stood out of professionalism, Mia stood in order to truly see and appreciate the look of disdain on his face when he spotted her.

"Mayor Wessling," Pepper greeted, holding out a hand for him to shake.

"Miss Potts," he responded with a charming smile. "Good to see you again." Then, with clear reluctance, he turned to look at Mia. "Miss Stark."

"Hello, Charlie." When she saw the way his eyebrow twitched, Mia grinned.

Charles Wessling was faintly tanned with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. His trim figure was emphasized by his tailored dark blue suit. Objectively speaking, the man was somewhat handsome but all the attractive qualities in the world couldn't make up for the stupidity that spilled out every time he opened his mouth.

"It's Charles," he reminded Mia through gritted teeth.

"Oh, I know." Flopping back down in her seat with the same amount of arrogance that she'd seen Tony have, Mia continued watching Wessling.

Hiding her smile, Pepper also sat back down. Out of all the habits Mia could have picked up from Tony, it didn't surprise Pepper one bit that Mia had taken on Tony's knack for finding the one thing that would annoy a person the most and grabbing hold. "So, Charles, how may we help you today?"

Taking a seat in the chair next to Mia, Wessling kept his focus solely on Pepper. "Well, as you know, election season is coming up and I'm preparing my campaign."

"Bold of you to be running again," Mia interjected, placing her elbow on the arm of the chair and resting her cheek in her palm. "Considering the Wilson Fisk fiasco."

Scowling, he retorted, "The Fisk scandal was handled in a quick and professional manner."

"After being illegally released from FBI custody by a group of corrupt agents, Fisk was beaten and recaptured by a vigilante before being dumped at the feet of a police officer," the brunette snorted. "That's hardy what I would deem a 'professional manner'."

Face flushing, Wessling tried to move on. "Regardless, as Fisk is now in jail where he belongs, he's no longer a concern. We need to continue looking to the future."

"And how can Stark Industries help with that?" Pepper asked before Mia could continue riling the man up any more than she already had.

Pulling himself together, Wessling smiled at Pepper again. "Stark Industries has been a tremendous help this past year with the rebuilding efforts after the Battle of New York. Without your support and aid, we wouldn't have been able to do so much."

"I wouldn't say that," Pepper told him with a polite smile. "All thanks should really be going to the generous people who donated to their time and money to helping the citizens of this city. Without their kindness, we never would have gotten this far."

"No need to be modest," he told Pepper, waving her words away. "Everyone sees just how much you've done, Miss Potts."

Only Mia spotted the brief flash of disdain that crossed Pepper's eyes. "Mia has really been the one taking charge of all Stark Industries fundraising and relief efforts- all thanks and praise should be going to her."

Flashing a serene smile at the now uncomfortable mayor, Mia stated, "It was my pleasure to be of assistance. After all, I do know how much of a… struggle, this past year has been. It's unfortunate that things still appear to be troublesome for you."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Wessling snapped before he could stop himself.

"Why, the issue of the killings in Hell's Kitchen. I was surprised to hear that the D.A. believes this to be just one killer. Sounds like such difficult affair."

By the way Wessling stiffened, both women could tell that he hadn't been expecting for that issue to be brought up. "Not really. I have it on good authority that the police are close to catching him."

Crossing her legs, Mia continued to keep her tone casual. "As I'm sure you're aware, I was raised in Britain, so I didn't grow up with the American justice system. Tell me, is it usual for the DA's office to be the one directing the police in how to do their job and for them to be acquiring and using information that the police have no access to?"

Pepper's eyes flicked from Mia to Wessling. So, this was what Mia had been concerned with earlier.

"Reyes tends to work more closely with the police than other DA's," was Wessling's short reply.

"That doesn't answer my question," Mia reminded him. "I'm asking if it is usual for a DA's office to have significantly more knowledge about a criminal than the police do, are able to direct the police in their investigations, and can withhold their information from the police without any consequences."

"Are you accusing Reyes of something?"

"Not yet, but I'm wondering if maybe someone ought to."

Wesslings fingers dug into the arms of his chair. "Reyes is one of the most dedicated and talented lawyers this city has. The fact that you would even attempt to accuse her of _any _sort of criminal act is reprehensible."

"And Wilson Fisk was nothing more than a generous philanthropist working tirelessly to better this city," Mia shot back. "One would have thought that, after everything that happened this past year, you of all people would understand that some individuals aren't what they seem."

Deliberately clearing his throat, Wessling forced his body to relax. "This is not what I came here to discuss."

"No," Mia snorted. "You came to request that we publicly support and endorse you in the upcoming elections despite everything that has happened this past year to demonstrate just how incompetent you truly are!"

"If you want our support," Pepper interjected before Wessling could give a reply that would fully set Mia off, "you need to prove that you're actually worth supporting. Mia's right, this past year has been an absolute mess for the city and, despite your claims, I'm not altogether sure that things are any different now."

"Because of Reyes?" he sputtered in surprise.

"Because Mia just asked you several questions that you haven't been able to answer properly," Pepper corrected. "And because I've also read the recent news articles and I have the same concerns as she does. The DA's office has unofficially announced to the public and officially announced to the police that these are the acts of one man without giving sufficient proof- even though this truly looks like it's nothing more than gang-on-gang violence. Reyes has a history of manipulating cases and people in order to achieve her desired outcome and there are rumors that there are a number of cops always willing to help her out. We're in the business of politics too, Mayor Wessling, and right now Reyes appears to be playing yet another game that we have no interest in being a part of. You want us to say that we want you to continue being our mayor? Then prove that you're actually capable of doing your job and get your people in line."

It was clear that things really had not gone as Wessling had planned for them to. Though, how the man could have thought that things would go any better for him was beyond Mia.

Tony strode into the room then, Happy hot on his heels. "Get out," he told Wessling abruptly.

"Tony," Pepper sighed, assuming at first that her Tony was just being Tony until she caught the look on his face. While Wessling was still gaping at Tony, Pepper looked at Happy, "Happy, please escort Mayor Wessling out of the building."

Mia stood up as Happy all but dragged a protesting Wessling out of the room. "What's going on?" she asked her brother, worry coursing through her at the hard look in his eyes.

"I was hoping you could tell me that," he responded shortly. Handing his sister the tablet that he had been clutching, he watched her eyes widen in alarm as she stared at the image on the screen. "Any idea what the hell that is?"

The image was grainy- clearly shot by a low quality camera from some distance away- but it was still obviously a ship of some sort hovering high in the sky.

"Is that…" Mia trailed off.

"A spaceship?" Tony finished for her. "Why yes, yes, it is." When it was clear that Mia had no clue what was going on, Tony forced himself to relax. "You have no idea what that is?"

"None," she whispered, mind racing. There were many options of what could be going on and none of them were good.

Turning away, Tony started back out of the room. "Well then, I guess we should go talk to someone who might."

* * *

"_And you're sure that it was really her?" Ron asked again. "Not just someone who looked like Hermione?"_

"_Yes, I'm absolutely positive that it was her," Harry answered in exasperation. "It was definitely Hermione."_

_Ron ran a hand through his hair and sat back in his seat. "Blimey. How the bloody hell did she manage to hide from us all this time? And why?"_

_Staring down at his desk, Harry sighed. "I've no idea. I don't think she's been hiding from us this whole time though- I think something else happened at the manor. Ron, she looks exactly the same."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_She hasn't aged." Harry could still see it in his head- the moment Hermione had appeared on that video screen beside the Muggle agent with an eyepatch. _

"We are not friends. Considering your actions after I was gone, we apparently never were."

"Should I tell the world just what kind of man Harry Potter truly is?"

_Perhaps Hermione hadn't aged, but she certainly had changed._

"_She barely looks any older than when we last saw her," Harry continued. "I think that maybe she was under some sort of stasis spell. Or maybe she time travelled. I don't know, really."_

_Ron's eyes widened. "That would explain why none of could find her. Where is she now? Why didn't you bring her back with you?"_

_After picturing a still-young Hermione in his head, it was jarring to see how aged Ron seemed compared to her. Ron's previously thick head of red hair had begun to thin and- hidden beneath the many hair products he now used- he had gained a bald spot on the back of his head. The years of gorging himself of fine foods and doing little exercise gave him a bit of a gut and too much alcohol gave his skin a perpetually red tint._

"_She doesn't want to come back here, Ron," Harry told him bluntly. "She doesn't want to have anything to do with us."_

"_Why not?" he demanded. "We're her friends- we're her best friends."_

"_We were her friends," corrected Harry. "And then we betrayed her. We lied, Ron. We lied, and she knows it."_

_Standing up, Ron waved a hand through the air as if brushing aside Harry's words. "We didn't lie about anything big really. We did it for the greater good, you know- surely 'Mione can see that for herself."_

'_We did it for the greater good.'_

"I'm well aware of the fact that when something went horribly wrong, something that could have been avoided, it was usually either Dumbledore's fault or it was yours."

"Dumbledore died as he lived: working always for the greater good."

"_We didn't do it for the greater good," Harry responded, the words spilling from his lips without thought. "We did it because we wanted to- we did it for ourselves. Because we had this idea and didn't care how it affected anyone else."_

_Ron obviously didn't understand what Harry was trying to say. "You're the youngest Head of the Auror Office and we defeated the Dark Lord, mate. Of course we know what's best for everyone."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N): Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! To all my non-American readers, be thankful to have avoided all that family time for awhile longer.**

**Shoutouts to aiyaiy13, BratGirl1983, Nessa Kane, Kitten123130, Adharablack85-2, angel897, Sora Loves Rain, Westcoast222, alexaguamenti, Catzandbookz8, and Najada for reviewing! Your excitement makes me excited to hear more of your thoughts on what's to come!**

**To the readers who haven't seen _Daredevil _but are putting their trust in me, thank you. I promise to do my best to not let you down. To those who have seen the show and are excited, thank you for your support. I hope to still have it afterwards. We've got a lot going on in this chapter. A bit from the Wizarding World, a reappearance of a past enemy, and a first look at a character from _Daredevil_. I cannot wait to hear your reactions.**

**This chapter is unbetaed so any mistakes are on you this time because I'm tired of taking the blame. You shoulder some of this.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Babajide Akingbade is a highly respected figure in the Wizarding World," President Samuel Quahog reminded Hermione as they walked down the hall. "He's the youngest appointed Supreme Mugwump in the ICW's history. So, no pressure, but if you piss him off, he can and will make your return a living hell."_

_Hermione forced herself to remain calm. She was past obsessively worrying about making sure everyone she met liked her- if Akingbade didn't like her and support her return, then he didn't and she would make do. "Are all Presidents as informal as you or are am I just lucky?"_

_Samuel snorted. "Your new brother is Tony Stark- nothing I do or say could be more shocking than anything he says and does on a daily basis."_

"_Fair enough," Hermione sighed._

_Opening a nondescript white door, Samuel gestured for Hermione to step in ahead of him. Pasting a pleasant yet reserved expression on her face, she stepped inside and nodded in greeting to the large, dark skinned man standing by the windows of the conference room overlooking Manhattan._

"_Ms. Granger," he greeted softly, voice even. "I am Babajide Akingbade." He held out his hand and she moved forward to shake it firmly._

"_Mr. Akingbade, it's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for agreeing to speak with me- I know that you are very busy with your duties at the ICW and your work back in your home country. I read that there was some flooding happening in the low-lying lands but I hope that there wasn't too much damage?"_

_A small smile flashed across his face as he waited for Hermione to sit before taking the chair across from her. "We are used to such an occurrence as it happens regularly, but immediate response is required in order to keep the damage as limited as possible."_

"_Preventative measures and immediate response are key when handling any situation," Hermione agreed._

_Samuel gave a dramatic groan from over by a small table holding a carafe of coffee. "Must you two insist on attempting to have a conversation through subtext?" he asked as he poured himself a cup. "We all know what we're here to discuss- why waste time on clever wordplay?"_

_Hermione raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Tell me, how did you manage to become the President when you act as though you can't stand playing any games of politics?"_

"_Oh, I can play them, I just don't enjoy doing so." Taking a seat next to Hermione, Samuel took a sip of coffee and sighed in relief. "Especially when I haven't had enough coffee."_

"_Is there ever enough coffee for you?" Akingbade inquired, also seeming amused._

"_It hasn't happened yet but maybe one day," Samuel snarked._

"_I look forward to seeing that," the Supreme Mugwump chuckled before looking back at Hermione, expression smoothing out. "You asked to speak with me and, while I can guess why you made the request, I think it would be best if you stated your reasons plainly."_

_Nodding, she stated, "It is only a matter of time before Wizarding Britain will be unable to hide- or ignore- the truth of my return. Samuel has already assisted me with gaining citizenship with MACUSA and all the protections that go with it, but I want to know if the ICW has any plans on… interfering."_

_Akingbade's expression didn't change. "Britain's standing and power within the ICW has declined dramatically in the last decade. There are few that would stand with them if they were to make any sort of challenge- and they would have to issue a formal complaint in order to try and get MACUSA to rescind what they have given you. However, there are already several members of the confederation asking questions about you. Should Britain be able to provide any evidence that there is something dark associated with you return, you may be called to speak in front of the ICW. But I doubt that is something the Ministry would want. They will want you to remain under their thumb, but they will not want to bring this fight to an international stage since they are certain to lose."_

_She had figured that that would be the case. "I'm not surprised that everyone has questions. If you think it would help though, I am willing to tell you- and only you- the truth of what happened to me so that you at least understand what happened and why I am hesitant to tell the world the entire story. I would need an Unbreakable Vow though."_

_Samuel stiffened next to her in surprise but the only change to Akingbade's expression was a small tugging on the corner of his lips. "A generous offer, but unnecessary." In response to the look of shock that skittered across Hermione's face, Akingbade gave a true smile. "This may come as a surprise to you, but not all of those with power believe that they need to be involved in everything happening in the world. I suspect that there is more to your return than meets the eye but, I am also equally sure that my knowing what is happening will have no impact on what is to come. Until I can actually be of use- or until I will actually be directly affected- there is no need to tell me anything."_

_Hermione struggled to understand. "But… aren't you worried about what I know? Aren't you scared that I might refrain from telling you something you need to know in the future?"_

"_No," he answered simply. "I know more of your story than you would think, Miss Granger. I do not need to know because, unlike many of my counterparts who would have considered your offer, I have something that they do not."_

"_And what's that?"_

"_Faith. And, the good sense to realize that, in this instance, ignorance may be bliss."_

_She couldn't stop the bark of laughter from spilling out of her. "I had faith once too and look what it got me."_

"_Are you saying you would not do it all again?" Akingbade asked. "Your new life- your brother, your friends- would you not endure all that suffering over and over again to ensure you ended up where you are now?"_

_Shaking her head, Hermione retorted, "Faith didn't bring me here and faith isn't what keeps them in my life. All faith gave me was a number of scars that will never fully heal and some severe trust issues. If I want to protect the people I love, then I can't rely on faith to do so- I can only rely on myself."_

* * *

Racing down the hall after Tony, Mia demanded, "Where was the ship spotted?"

"Above a desert in Utah," he answered shortly. "Rhodey said that it just appeared out of nowhere- didn't even show up on any of the satellites."

"Utah?" Pepper repeated, her heels clacking against the floor. "Why Utah?"

"Well, clearly because the aliens were drawn to the overwhelming number of Mormon's there," Tony snapped. "How should I know?"

Striding into the living room, Mia darted towards the multiple screens projecting various images. On the largest one, Colonel Rhodes was sitting in front of the camera in his military uniform. "Tony," he barked. "Was it really necessary for you to run off on me just to get them? No offense," he told Pepper, completely ignoring Mia.

"Yes, it was," Tony retorted. "Now, show us what you've got."

"If we weren't in a state of emergency," Rhodes muttered. An image suddenly appeared on his screen of a large black spaceship. "Got any ideas on what the fuck this is?" he asked his friend.

Tony didn't, but Mia did. "Those are Kree warships," she whispered in horror.

"What did you say?" asked Rhodes, looking at Mia. "You know what those are?"

"JARVIS," Tony interrupted, and the screen went black. "Mia, what's going on?"

Swallowing, Mia tried to organize her racing thoughts. "The Kree are a race of scientifically and technologically advanced aliens. Their society revolves around war- it's all that matters to them. For thousands of years, they've spread out across the galaxy either conquering or wiping out races and planets that stood against them. Until Mom stopped them."

"You already told us that before," Tony reminded her. "And apparently she didn't, seeing as how there is currently a ship hovering over the fucking state of Utah!"

"I just said that they've spent over a thousand years spreading out across the galaxy!" Mia scowled, running her hands through her hair. "Stopping them isn't exactly something that can be done quickly. That's what Mom's been doing for the past 15 years or so and she's almost done- the Kree are currently in peace treaty talks with the Nova Empire- an intergalactic hegemony that rules over a large portion of the galaxy now and is made up of multiple races. This must be the last of the Kree opposition that hasn't been wiped out yet."

"Why are they here then?" Pepper interrupted. "Why come to Earth?"

"Because they think she's here," Tony growled, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm right, aren't I?" he asked Mia. "Carol used to be human until she got her powers and then she went off to destroy the Kree because of what they did to her. They want her dead now and they think she's here for some reason."

He was right. "They must have been alerted after what happened to the Chitauri. They don't know about my existence so they must believe that Mom was the one fighting here. If I had to guess, they most likely think that attacking Earth would catch her attention and bring her here. It'd be easier for them if they made her find them, rather than continue to search the galaxy for her. But they've spent years trying to defeat Mom and failing. If they're making a move this bold then… well, either they are truly desperate or very confident. Or both."

"Great," Tony drawled, and Mia was surprised that the amount of sarcasm he had imbued into one word hadn't cause him to choke. "So, there's a spaceship filled with pissed off aliens looking for your mother in order to settle a decades old grudge match hovering over Earth and guess who's not here? Don't suppose you know if she's anywhere nearby, do you?"

"Mr. Stark," JARVIS broke in. "Colonel Rhodes requests that you reestablish the connection."

Taking a deep breath, Mia let it out in a rush. "I don't know where my mother is but I doubt she's anywhere nearby; I don't think we can count her coming to our aid. We need to deal with this ourselves, Tony. Military-grade weapons won't be enough to take out that ship. Last time the Kree came to Earth, Mom was able to destroy most of their ships just by using her powers. I should be able to do the same thing."

He instantly shook his head. "Not on your own you're not."

"I know." Smiling softly, Mia reached up to grab Tony's hands and squeezed them. "Tell Rhodes you're going to head out now while I get changed and we'll leave together."

Breaking away, Mia turned and raced down to her floor.

The last time she had done something like this- actually suited up to fight- was during the Chitauri invasion. Then, all she had been able to do was use magic to impersonate Carol. Honestly, she was lucky that her S.H.I.E.L.D. suit hadn't been destroyed in the flight. Fortunately for Mia though, this time around she wouldn't need to do that again.

Striding into her study, Mia went to one of bookshelves and pulled on a copy of _Matilda_\- Tony's idea of being clever- and the shelf slid back, allowing her to slip through a narrow opening into the room behind. Technically, this room was supposed to be her personal panic room in case the tower was ever under attack, but Mia used it to store her most valuable possessions.

Walking over to a small chest in the corner, Mia knelt down and grabbed a small dagger that had been crafted by the finest Asgardians blacksmiths and gifted to her by Loki. Pressing the tip of the steel into her pointer finger, Mia waited for a small pool of blood to appear before pressing her finger to the lock on the chest. The face of the lock shifted then to show a keyhole- even if someone were able to get ahold of her blood, they would also need to possess the key.

Stretching out a hand, Mia opened up a pocket in space and reached in. Along with the key that was always stored there, she felt a piece of paper and a small object. Collecting all three things, Mia pulled her hand out and shut the pocket.

Setting the paper and box aside for the moment, Mia unlocked the trunk and threw the lid open. Sitting on top of a pile of books, bags, and tiny boxes was a suit identical to the one that her mother always wore. Carol had had it made for her not long after they were reunited just in case she ever needed to don her mother's mantel again. Her mother may still resent the Kree for what they did to her, but there was a reason she still wore a variation of their uniform after all these years. They were bulletproof, waterproof, came with an air mask, and regulated the wearers temperature so that they could survive in even the most hostile of climates.

Stripping out of her skirt and shirt, Mia carefully slipped the red, blue, and gold armor on. A shiver ran down her spine as she finished tugging her boots on. Wearing this uniform, Mia felt like she was actually her mother in that moment- an independent, fierce, brave, unstoppable hero.

Exiting the room, she stopped in front of a mirror and debated whether or not to start pretending to be Carol Danvers then or wait until later. Ultimately deciding that it would be fine to wait until she was closer to the Kree ship, Mia headed for the stairs.

_Mia._

_Mom. Were you alerted about the arrival of the Kree warship?_

_Are they already there? I was only just now given a heads-up that a ship had been spotted heading towards Earth. This part of the galaxy isn't travelled to very often because it's usually watched over by the Asgardians._

_No Asgardians have been spotted yet, but the ship did just arrive. Tony and I are heading out now._

Pausing outside the entry to the living room, Mia listen to Tony arguing with Rhodes. "There isn't any time to wait for the military to give a thumbs-up to us saving the world! That is a warship, Rhodey- whoever's on it isn't here to have a chat. They're here to blow up the planet and this isn't the first time they've tried!"

"And how exactly do you know that?" demanded Rhodes. "Where are you getting this information?"

"It doesn't matter how I got it," Tony told him shortly. "What matters is that it's true and that I'm going. I'll call you when I have more information."

_I don't want you involved in this._

_I have to be involved- it's doubtful any weapons possessed on Earth have enough power to break through the hull of that ship, but our powers can._

_And they know that, Mia- they'll be expecting that if they really are there to try and capture me. This is too dangerous. If the Kree find out about you-_

_It doesn't matter what they know, Mom. We don't have another choice._

"Are you ready?" Mia asked, walking into the room and watching as Tony finished suiting up. Pepper was standing off to the side and watching him with a worried look on her face.

"Always." Before Tony put his helmet on, he walked over to Pepper and pressed a kiss to her lips. "See you in a bit."

"Be careful," Pepper requested, twisting to look at Mia. "I expect both of you to come back to me in one piece."

"Since there are two of us, wouldn't you want us to come back to you in two pieces?" Mia wondered. "Otherwise the implication is that we're supposed to fuse together into one being."

"And it's that sort of thought process that made the other kids pick on you," Tony told her, helmet on and eyes glowing. "Let's roll."

* * *

It was as they were flying over Iowa that JARVIS patched Steve through to their comm units. _"You guys okay?"_

"We're fine, Steve," Hermione reassured him. "We haven't even reached the ship yet."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. have anything for us?" Tony asked.

"_What, are you no longer hacked into their system?" _Steve asked, a faint note of humor in his voice.

"JARVIS is kind of juggling a few things right now," defended Tony.

"_I'll bet. Unfortunately, we don't have much more info than what I'm guessing you guys have. Natasha and I are about to head out there with the STRIKE team. We're taking a quinjet so we should get there shortly after you do."_

"Well, I would be there much sooner if Tony wasn't slowing me down," Hermione grumbled.

She could feel Tony rolling his eyes. "Just because you can travel at the speed of light does not mean that you should run off and face an alien army on your own."

"You know there is a chance that there's only a few rebels on that ship right now and not an entire army, don't you?"

"Yeah, and there's also a chance that the only thing on that ship is Charlie the Unicorn, but that chance is as equally unlikely as yours," Tony snapped.

"_Pardon my interruption," _came JARVIS' calm tone. _"But the ship has changed position."_

"What's going on?" asked Hermione, who, unlike Tony, needed JARVIS to describe what was happening instead of being able to see the footage for herself.

"_While I cannot be absolutely sure, it does appear as though the ship is preparing to fire."_

Without another word, Hermione pushed herself to go as fast as she could, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Damnit," Tony swore.

"_What's going on?"_

"Mia just took off. JARVIS, put all power into the thrusters."

"_Sir, no matter how much power you use, you won't be able to catch up with her."_

"Just do it, JARVIS!"

* * *

_They wouldn't fly so low if they were really aiming to destroy the planet, would they? _Mia asked, remembering the memory her mom had once shown her of a group of large ships high above Earth and how Carol had destroyed the missiles they'd shot at the planet with her bare hands. It had been that memory that had taught Mia that there was nothing to fear when flying- that she was unstoppable.

_No, they wouldn't, but this is clearly a trap and they really want to get our attention sooner rather than later. _Their minds were linked deeply enough that they could see what the other was seeing but all Mia was getting from Carol was the blur of spacing flying by.

_Well, they certainly have it._

_The Kree have had years to plan this, Mia, _Carol warned. _If they're doing this, then they must be feeling confident enough in their plan to take me out._

_But it's not you they'll be facing. I'm not just your daughter- I'm also the daughter of Loki. They won't be expecting me and all that I can do._

_Ah, I remember that feeling of confidence. And then how it disappeared in the blink of an eye._

_I know you're scared, Mom, but we don't have any other options. If we wait, people will die._

_And if you do this, __you__ might. If something happens to you…_

_Nothing is going to happen to me. Everything will be fine. I promise._

Mia relished in the rush of being able to fully use her powers. For the past year, she had kept her abilities leashed in an attempt to not draw attention to herself. When Carol had told her what it was like for her on Hala and the amount of energy it took to constantly keep her powers under lock and key, Mia hadn't been able to fully understand. Her parents had always encouraged her to embrace her powers- even when they would escape her accidentally, they never got frustrated or tried to curb her.

Now, after a year of suppressing a large piece of who she was, Mia finally understood. She understood at least a bit of what her mother had gone through and couldn't imagine what it must have been like to have to live six years fighting against who she was.

Hurtling over the state line into Utah, Mia headed towards the coordinates where the ship was located. It was time for her to finish what her mother had started all those years ago.

* * *

"Sir," one of the Kree sitting at the navigational panel called. "Something's approaching the ship at lightspeed."

Yon-Ragg smiled. He knew that Vers would be unable to resist coming to face them herself. Though really, she wouldn't have had a choice either way. The inhabitants of C-53 were still too primitive to be able to defend themselves against the might of the Kree Empire. Despite Vers' attempts to stop them, the Kree were still a warrior race and every person on the ship was prepared to join the Collective should they fail.

They wouldn't though- of that Yon-Ragg was sure. Years had been spent preparing for this moment as Vers tore through the galaxy, doing her best to destroy everything that their empire had built.

_I'm so proud of you. You've come a long way from that day I found you by the lake._

He truly meant what he said to Vers that day. Yon-Ragg had always known that she had the potential to be a fantastic warrior if she could only learn control. The problem was that he had tried to force her to learn how to suppress her powers, rather than teach her how to control them. If they had only done that from the start, then things would have been very different.

Vers would have destroyed the Skrull that had taken her before they were able to fiddle around inside her head and turn her against them. With her powers, they would have destroyed the Nova Empire and taken control of the entire galaxy.

Taking a deep breath, Yon-Ragg reminded himself that soon they would be able to do all those things. They would take back what was theirs.

They would retrieve their weapon. They would take back their empire.

* * *

Once Mia was finally able to spot the ship, she created the illusion that she was Carol Danvers.

_Mia._

_Dad,_ she sighed. It seemed that Mom had filled him on what was going on. _Any advice on what I should do now?_

Seeming to know well-enough that there would be no talking Mia out of this course of action, Loki advised, _You saw your mother's memories- the ships outer defenses won't be strong enough to stop you. Go in and destroy the engine room as quickly as possible. They will have already noted your arrival, so you need to focus on moving as quickly and efficiently as you can._

_Shouldn't I focus on destroying their weapons? If I don't, they might still be able to fire a missile before I can destroy the engine, _Mia argued. _And that's not even factoring in how much damage may be caused by the ship falling._

_There will be far more destruction if any Kree manage to escape and start attacking civilians. There can be no survivors left on that ship._

_He's right,_ Carol told her flatly. _You need to be as quick as you can. They have to have some sort of plan, so you need to move too fast for them to put it into action. Don't stop for anything and don't let them distract you._

Taking a deep breath, Mia flew at the ship and broke straight through the metal side.

* * *

_He watched him through the scope of his rifle. Things really had changed while he had been gone, hadn't they? Super soldiers back from the dead, a man that could turn big and green in a split second, fucking Norse Gods of all things, and aliens coming through portals in the goddamned sky. Out of all that though, he had to say that this was the dumbest shit he had seen so far._

_What kind of name was the Devil of Hell's Kitchen anyway?_

_The guy had skill- he'd give him that. The man in red moved lightning quick and seemed to have good instincts since no one had gotten the drop on him yet. Didn't change the fact that he was really nothing more than a little boy running around pretending to be a hero. _

_The one thing the Devil seemed unable to comprehend was that nothing he was doing actually made a difference. He could knock down bad guys left and right and gift wrap them for the cops all he wanted but at the end of the day, they would be right back on the streets doing the same shit. Nothing would change- these pieces of shit weren't going to suddenly be reformed after getting a couple of limbs broken by a vigilante and being thrown in jail for a few months._

_If he really wanted to help people, he'd make sure that the garbage he took down, stayed down. Maybe if he had, then his…_

_No. That was his fault. He should have been better- reacted faster, done his job._

_He was supposed to protect them. That was his one job in this world, to keep them safe. And instead, he'd done nothing, and they'd been gunned down in front of him while he'd just watched in horror. Now, all that was left for him was to make sure that no one else ever had to go through that. _

_But, if Red had actually protected people like he apparently claimed to do, then maybe things would have been different too. Instead, it was up to him to actually clean up this city and he was more than prepared to do the job._

_Moving back, he disassembled his rifle and slotted it back into its case. Striding across the rooftop, he climbed down the fire escape and into the dark alley below. Slipping out onto the mostly empty street, he quickly made his way towards a bar a few blocks away where a couple members of the Cartel were; he had some bullets with their names on them._

_One batch, two batch. Penny and dime._

* * *

**Please leave a review on the way out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N): Oh my god. I'm so tired. I went and saw _Knives Out _again tonight and I am so tired. Such a good movie though. I LOVE that movie.**

**Shoutouts to toomanyfandoms98, .7, Alyxia, Lost O'Fallon Girl, Sora Loves Rain, Westcoast222, JannaKalderash, Pterodactyl1993, peachx89, Najada, Catzandbookz8, alexaguamenti, and Guests for reviewing! I love and appreciate each and every one of you. I don't think this is the chapter you were expecting and I'm both excited and scared to hear your thoughts.**

**This was one of my fav chapters to write. It's just such a pivotal moment in Hermione's story and I hope I captured it in the way I was aiming to. And I hope that you all can kind of understand why it turned out this way.**

**This chapter is unbetaed so any mistakes are on me because I'm super tired and probably missed things when I was rereading this because of that. Mea culpa.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Carol heard the alarms blaring as she crashed through Asgard's defenses, but she could not have given less of shit in that moment. She needed to find Loki and she needed to find now._

_How could they have let this happen?_

_That question kept circling round and round in her mind. _

_How could they have let this happen? How could they have not noticed the signs for so long? How could they have been so blind- so foolish?_

_Bursting through multiple walls in her quest, Carol felt several weapons bounce off her suit without even leaving a scratch. So much for their superior weapons._

_Coming to a stop in the throne room, Carol was relieved to see that Thor was already there- hammer in hand, of course- along with multiple warriors and two older individuals by a golden throne that she assumed were Frigga and Odin._

_When Thor saw that the person attacking them was actually Carol, he lowered his weapon and stared at her in confusion. "Lady Danvers?"_

_Dropping down to the floor, Carol made sure to keep her powers tucked just below the surface so that she still had a faint, ominous glow about her. "Where is Loki?" she demanded._

"_You dare-" the man on the throne started to below but Thor interrupted him._

"_Loki is where he belongs. If you wanted to see him, then you should not have come here in the manner you did."_

"_Mia is in danger," Carol interrupted him. "She's in danger and we need Loki- now."_

"_What need have you for my son?" the woman by the throne asked calmly._

_Carol didn't take her eyes off of Thor. "At this moment, a Kree warship has descended into Earth's atmosphere." Thor's eyes widened in horror. "They are coming for Mia, Thor. They are there for the express purpose of capturing her and destroying Earth before taking her back to Hala and torturing her."_

_Thor's eyes almost seemed to glow with anger. "Then we must go to Midgard at once."_

"_Not without Loki," Carol snapped. "We need him- Loki is the best at strategic planning. Knowing him, he's considered that something like this might happen and already has some idea of what to do."_

_Seemingly torn, Thor glanced over at his parents._

"_She's his daughter," hissed Carol, enraged by his hesitation. "She's his daughter and she's in danger- are you really that terrible of a brother that you would keep him from her? Is your family really that fucked up?"_

_Even as Odin opened his mouth to protest, Frigga spoke. "Thor, go to the dungeons and release your brother. Heimdall will use the Bifrost to transport you to Midgard."_

_Jumping into action, Thor hurried off with Carol at his heels. They could hear Odin's rage echoing down the hall, but it was Frigga's rebuke that was clearly heard. "That is our granddaughter in danger and I will not allow your pride and ignorance to damage this family any more than it already has! I was the one to teach Loki how to wield his magic and should you choose to challenge me on this matter, I will show you why I am a far more fearsome adversary than he is!"_

* * *

When Mia opened her eyes, she was confused by the dark, metal ceiling above her. Her bedroom had a white ceiling... the helicarrier's ceilings were metal though... Hogwart's ceilings were made of-

She wasn't at Hogwarts. She wasn't with S.H.I.E.L.D. More importantly, this wasn't her bedroom.

It all came trickling back to her- Tony, the unknown ship, the Kree, her mom...

"You're awake," came a vaguely amused voice to her left.

Slowly- achingly slowly- Mia turned to see who was standing next to her. When her vision finally focused enough to make out the features on the hazy outline next to her, Hermione flinched back reflexively.

It was Albus Dumbledore. The Albus Dumbledore from the photos in Skeeter's book. The Dumbledore who once stood shoulder to shoulder with Grindlewald.

"You," Hermione started, voice as serious as she could make it. "You are not Dumbledore."

Raising an eyebrow, the man stepped forward. "I'm not."

"That's good. Dumbledore was an awful, awful, human. Just terrible really."

Seemingly uninterested in her topic of conversation, he started slowly walking around the table she was laying on. "My name is Yon-Ragg- I'm a... friend of your mother's." She knew that name. She knew he was lying. "How old are you?" he asked abruptly.

For some reason, Mia found that question far more amusing than she should. "That is a tricky question and one I really should be asked more. After all, how could one as young as I have eyes so old?"

Yon-Ragg wasn't deterred. "Since you seem to have inherited Vers' abilities, you can't be older than 18 or so," he persisted. "And there's only a limited amount of time after she left the Kree that could account for your birth."

"Look at you," Hermione slurred, head lulling. "Why are you asking me questions that you seem to already have the answers to when I do not?"

He sighed. "It seems the drugs are having a different effect on you than originally intended. Which, I suppose, is understandable since they weren't meant for you."

Ah. Drugs. That made sense- it explained why Mia felt so odd. Her head felt so… light.

Her head was empty.

She couldn't feel her parents.

That was a sobering thought. She needed to find a way to get the drugs out of her system and reconnect with her parents before getting out of there and-

Mia was so tired. Her exhaustion covered her like a thick blanket weighing her down too much to move.

And she suddenly realized that she wasn't wearing her suit anymore- just the shorts and tank top that she'd had on underneath it.

"They were meant for your mother," Yon-Ragg continued, unaware of her spiraling thoughts. "It was made specially for her. Took us years to get the formula right; we needed to find the right chemicals that would keep Vers down long enough for us to get her prepped to move and then find a way to turn it into a gas."

Slowly doing the math in her head, Mia asked, "It took you 18 years to create this drug? Just how stupid are your scientists?"

Yon-Ragg shook his head and sighed. "It appears you also inherited Vers' penchant for flippant remarks."

"Her name is Carol," came tumbling out of Mia's mouth. "My mother's name is Carol. She's not Vers- she never was. She was never really one of you."

"Is that what she told you?" he questioned, amused. "Did she tell you that she was always our enemy? That she always stood separate from us?"

She had to be careful with this- subtle enough to go unnoticed but with enough force to actually make a difference.

"She didn't need to tell me anything. I'm quite capable of deducing things on my own."

It was working, she was sure of it. Just a little bit more…

"A truly intelligent being doesn't need to brag about it."

"Perhaps, but a truly confident one has nothing to hide."

_MIA!_

Her breath left her in a rush. _Dad?_

_What happened?_ Loki pressed. The connection was clear enough that she could hear him without any issues but not strong enough that Mia was able to see either him or his surroundings. _Where are you?_

_Ran into one of Mom's archnemesis'. I'm on the ship. They used some kind of drug and now I feel all… floaty. _

Loki was silent for a moment. _Which archnemesis? Your mother has more than a few; I'm going to need a name._

_Yon-Ragg._

_Ah. That archnemesis._

_Yeah. I still haven't found Brett Johnson yet._

_Who?_

_That disgusting prig who made the comment to Mom about cockpits._

_Kid, that was so long ago. I could not care less about that anymore. Let it go. _The connection to Carol had finally reformed and, though Mia could tell her mother was trying to sound calm and unconcerned, she could feel the toxic mixture of fear and rage whirling through her.

Mia suddenly realized that Yon-Ragg wasn't talking anymore.

"Did you finally grow tired of the sound of your own voice?" she wondered.

"Who is your father?" Yon-Ragg demanded without preamble. Or perhaps there had been a preamble but Mia just hadn't heard it.

"Why do you want to know?" Mia demanded cheerfully. These were quality drugs- she'd give them that.

Yon-Ragg moved so that he was back in her sightline. "Did your mother never mention our… relationship?"

It took longer than Mia would like to comprehend just what he was insinuating. "Oh, you must be joking," she groaned. "Really? My mother had a relationship with _you_? You, who is essentially another Dumbledore except instead of being magical you're… you're just…" her mind struggled to come up with an appropriate term. Then, her memory conjured up a term she had once heard Tony use and found oddly amusing. "You're just some space fucker!" she announced proudly.

The way Yon-Ragg's eyes tightened told Mia that she was severely trying his nerves. "I will ask you one last time," he warned softly. "Who is your father?"

_What should I do? _she asked her parents.

_Tell him that he is your father, _Loki promptly responded.

_What? _Carol demanded. _No. Absolutely not!_

_Well, don't explicitly state it, of course, _her father corrected. _Subtle implications only._

_That's not what my objection is about, _snapped Carol. _She can't tell him that he's her father. You're her father._

_And we all know that_, retorted Loki, also seeming annoyed. _But she needs to buy herself time. If Mia plays on his sentiments, then it will cause him to hesitate._

_The Kree don't do sentiments._

_He did with you._

_I would have thought that your arguments would have been switched, _Mia admitted abruptly. _That Mom would be arguing to tell him that he's my father and you would have been arguing the opposite._

_It's only logical, _Loki insisted.

_And since when do you do logic? _her mother grumbled.

Yon-Ragg taking a step towards her snapped Mia back to attention. "I don't know," she told him abruptly, pulling her face into a frown. "I don't know who my father is."

He stopped. "Your mother never told you?"

Mia sighed. "She told me that he died- that he was a brave, strong, and intelligent warrior who died saving the lives of others. She told me that he was a hero, but she never told me what his name was and, to be honest, I never asked."

"You weren't curious?" he asked suspiciously.

"Mom didn't want to talk about it," she answered simply.

Studying her intently for a long moment, Yon-Ragg didn't reply. Mia wondered what he was seeing. She knew she looked far more like her mother than her father- was he trying to spot the differences and then compare them to his own features?

Just a little more- just a few more moments and then she would be able to make her move.

"You're the one who destroyed the army that attacked this world?" Yon-Ragg questioned, stepping closer.

"Yes, because I'm _amazing_," she sang. "Not that it was a very difficult task though. Pathetically easy really."

Seemingly amused again, Yon-Ragg agreed, "No, I suppose the Chitauri army wouldn't prove much of a challenge for you. It does explain why you so brazenly attacked us- if you've only ever fought weaklings like the Chitauri, you wouldn't have expected the might of the Kree."

"The might of the Kree," Mia snorted. "From what I've heard, your people grow either weaker with every day that passes because of the Nova Empire or become as twisted and insane as Ronan. I'm curious though: are you weak or are you Ronan?"

Before Yon-Ragg could answer, the ship shook violently.

* * *

The light of the Bifrost still glowed around them even as Carol and Loki raced forward towards where the warship was hovering overhead. For once, Loki didn't feel the need to discuss strategy before engaging in a battle- he was prepared to rip the Kree ship apart with his bare hands if that was what it took.

Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three were right behind them. "Can your powers break through the ship?" Thor called to Carol, the strap of his hammer wrapped tight around his wrist. If she could break through, then he could follow after her and help find Mia.

"Mia did that and that's how they managed to capture her," Carol responded, voice tight. "There's some sort of gas they released inside the ship that we're susceptible to. Mia's found a way to deal with it, but I doubt I'll be able to if I go in there."

"Then what is the plan?" asked Hogan. He still wasn't sure if it had been wise to come- anything having to do with Loki never ended well- but Thor was insistent on joining in the fight and he wouldn't let his shield brother go alone.

"It's simple really," Loki answered, finally coming to a stop. "Thor will destroy their communications system so that they can neither request help nor inform any of what they've discovered. Mia will make her escape, and that will be our moment to attack." Turning to look back at his brother and his companions, Loki warned, "No one on that ship can be left alive."

Simply nodding, Thor spun his hammer and took off. These beings had attacked his family- had stolen his niece with plans to harm her. Death would be too swift a kindness for them but unfortunately, this was neither the time nor the place for a lengthy battle. Rising high into the air, Thor located where the outer hub of their communications system was located and swiftly brought multiple strikes of lightning down onto it.

* * *

As Yon-Ragg began shouting to whoever was on the other side of his communicator, Mia slowly sat up and swung her legs off the table. When he turned to see her standing, Yon-Ragg's eyes widened in surprise.

"Did it not occur to you," Mia started to ask casually, "that the fact that the drugs weren't working properly on me meant that they also weren't going to be as effective? All I had to do was increase my core temperature enough to sweat out enough of the toxin so that I could regain control of my powers."

Yon-Ragg's eyes flashed with anger and then reluctant amusement. "How clever of you."

"I try," Mia shrugged, preparing to blow the ship sky high.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Yon-Ragg warned her, mimicking her casual tone. "You may be right that it didn't occur to me that you might still be able to access your powers even while drugged, but are you really so arrogant to believe that the drugs were our only plan? After all, I've known Vers for years- I know how good she is at finding a way to escape at the last minute. It's a real gift for her. A gift you seem to have inherited."

* * *

"_I'm about a hundred miles out," _Tony informed Steve.

"We're right behind you," Steve responded, hovering behind Natasha. Despite their well-known dislike of one another, when Natasha had heard that Hermione had been captured, she had immediately taken control of the jet. "We just got word that what looks like the Bifrost appeared not far from the ship."

"_So, the Asgardians finally managed to fix that- great," _the other man grumbled. _"Any sign of Carol?"_

"Not that I've heard." He was positive that Carol would be making an appearance any minute though. Steve knew there was no chance that she hadn't heard what was going on and was racing towards Earth as they spoke.

"Don't suppose you know of any weakness that these Kree have?" Brock Rumlow questioned from behind Steve, pulling on his tactical gear.

"Not really," Natasha answered. "They're more advanced than us but not as advanced as Thor claims his people are. We do know they're not bulletproof like Loki was, but their armor probably is."

"Hear that?" Brock called back to the rest of the STRIKE team. "Aim for any exposed skin."

"_Got eyes on the ship and on the Asgardians,"_ Tony announced abruptly. _"Looks like Thor is down there with a few of his buddies and-"_

"Tony?"

"_Carol's down there and she brought Loki to the party."_

* * *

"And what is this amazing back-up plan that is supposed to have me shaking in my boots?" Mia asked dryly, folding her arms over her chest. "If I were wearing any, of course."

Yon-Ragg smirked at her. "After we captured you, we filled the ship a rather flammable substance. Should you use your powers, several of the surrounding rooms will instantly be engulfed in fire."

Mia's mind raced. It would be much easier to connect the dots to all of this if her mind wasn't still so sluggish. The drugs weren't completely out of her system yet- it was unlikely that they would be for at least another day or so- so she was having trouble processing everything.

Why was he telling her this? What was the point? If she used her power, parts of the ship would go up in flames.

"You think I care if members of your crew die?" Mia finally asked, keeping her expression bored. "Is your assumption that I wouldn't risk the lives of your people in order to save myself and my home? Because that's a rather ignorant idea and utterly wrong."

"Actually, I'm assuming that you wouldn't risk the lives of innocent people in order to save your own skin," he corrected. "You see, all of the rooms filled with gas contain the holding cells for a group of refugees that were captured."

Well, that made much more sense then, didn't it?

* * *

Quickly muting the mental link on their end so that Mia couldn't hear them, Loki turned to Carol. "There are no hostages on that ship."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Fandral, confused as to where the need for such a comment had come from.

Carol stared up at Loki, expression uncharacteristically unsure. "A group of Argoran refugees went missing about a week ago," she told him quietly. "There's been no trace or sign of what happened to them."

Thor inhaled sharply. He knew of the connection his brother and Lady Danvers had with their daughter and inferred that they were able to witness what was occurring on the ship. A ship that may happen to have a large number of innocents on board- making attacking it a much more costly venture.

"_Listen to me,_" Loki hissed, grabbing Carol's shoulders. "There are no refugees on that ship. There are no innocents on that ship. The only people on that ship right now is our _daughter _and a large number of Kree warriors. _Do you understand?_"

Mia's fear was reverberating down their connection. She couldn't last much longer.

When Carol didn't say anything, Loki swore. "Damn you. That is our child up there, terrified and alone. Have we not already failed her once? We _cannot_ fail her again. We cannot _lose her_ again."

Even Volstagg felt a small amount of sympathy at the pain in Loki's voice. He may have no love or respect for the man, but it appeared as though the Trickster did care for his child and worried for her.

Spine straightening, Carol stared up at Loki with hard eyes.

* * *

"Clever," Mia allowed, fingers digging into her arms. "Of course, it also goes to show just what a disgusting waste of a creature you actually are."

Yon-Ragg was unbothered by her comments. "Vers would never risk the lives of innocent- no matter the cost to herself. And as her daughter, I imagine that you are just like her in that regard."

_He's lying, Mia, _her mother told her, abruptly reestablishing their connection.

Mia had felt when she and her father and pulled away though- knew that they were discussing something that they hadn't wanted her to hear. Even her somewhat addled mind could piece together what that meant. She knew that they were trying to protect her from making an impossible choice.

It was too late though. Mia already knew what she had to do.

* * *

"_What's going on up there?" _Steve demanded.

Tony stared at the ship from where he hovered several hundred feet away. Every cell in his body felt like it was on fire. It felt like it was literally killing him to be so far away, to not be up close and in the action when someone he loved was on the line. Mia was his sister- he should be helping her.

But he couldn't. Tony couldn't be the one to save Mia, to protect her.

"_You need to stay back, Stark."_ Carol had ordered when they'd touched down, somehow syncing with his system._ "We're going to get Mia out and once we do, there will be an opening to attack the ship. Your suit isn't going to be strong enough to get through their defenses right now though. You need to fall back."_

"_Tony?" _Steve asked.

Suddenly, every window on the ship seemed to light up from the inside and a split second later, a sonic boom came bursting out as the ship literally exploded. Tony was thrown back, his armor vibrating as it tried to distribute the invisible waves rocking against it.

"MIA!"

* * *

"_Too bad for you though that I am not my mother."_

* * *

_They could hear Loki shouting long before they saw him. Speeding ahead of Thor, Carol hurtled down the stairs and past multiple cells until she came to stop in front of Loki's. He was leaning against the wall closest to a guard and shouting at him. The guard, who had previously been ignoring Loki with a small sneer on his face, startled at the sudden appearance of Carol and then Thor._

"_What is going on here?" Thor boomed._

"_What are you doing here?" Loki demanded of Carol, ignoring his brother. "You shouldn't be here- you should be helping Mia!"_

"_I am," she retorted. "But I was too far away when I realized what was happening- the only way I'm getting to Earth in time to help is by catching a ride on the Bifrost."_

_Loki scowled. "This fool of a guard ignored my requests to speak with either Thor or Frigga. I had thought to inform them so that they might be able to send warriors to Midgard."_

_Thor glared at the now fearful guard. "Is that true?"_

"_We- we were given orders by the king," the guard stammered. "Loki is known for his silver tongue- we were told to be on our guards at all time."_

"_I don't know how it is here," Carol snapped, "but where I come from, there's a fucking difference between 'being on guard' and 'ignoring'." Then, without preamble, she lifted her glowing hand and slammed it against the shimmering wall of Loki's prison. Wardstones may be enough to keep Loki locked in the cage, but Carol had been taught by the man in question that, if you flung enough raw power around, it was easy to overload them._

_As soon as the walls fell, Loki leapt down beside Carol and took off back towards the exit out of the dungeons._

"_Loki," Thor protested, racing after his brother and moving to stop him. "We need to come up with a plan."_

"_Why?" Loki snarled. "You never listened to my plans anyway. All you have ever done is charge recklessly into situations and leave others to clean up your messes. So, rather that waste time and breath informing you of a plan you won't even be able to remember after a few minutes go by, I will just tell you what to do as needed." Spotting the Warrior's Three and Sif standing a ways ahead of them, Loki finally came to a stop and looked at Thor. "But mark my words, Thor: if you try to act on your own- if you do anything to endanger the life of my daughter- I will destroy you so completely that not even the strongest of magics will be able to piece you back together. I have had many a chance to kill you that I did not take. Do not make me regret it."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on the way out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N): How's it going guys? You all doing well? Feeling prepared for the upcoming holidays? Because I'm certainly not. I have so many things I still need to buy.**

**Shoutouts to aiyaiy13, AvengingAngeli, birningice, iChaos, Sora Loves Rain, Alyxia, peachx89, Westcoast222, lilphipp, Lost O'Fallon Girl, Catzandbookz8, toomanyfandoms98, and Guests for reviewing! I loved hearing all your thoughts- I especially enjoyed how a number of you were going "Hermione is awesome!" and the rest of you were going "Oh nooooooooooooooo". It was very nice seeing all the different perspectives.**

**This was actually a super tough chapter to get it out. I ended up having to rework it multiple times in order to get it to be what I wanted- though I'm still not sure I'm 100% happy with it. I've accepted how it turned out, but I also don't want to ever have to read it again for a good long while. **

**This chapter was unbetaed because no one feels up to the challenge to try and keep up with my crazy thought-train and plot ideas. Not that I really blame them- it can get pretty weird up in here.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_I need a favor."_

_Tony stopped tinkering with his suit and glanced up to see his sister standing next to him. "Do siblings do favors?"_

_Mia frowned. "Of course. Why wouldn't they?"_

"_Dunno," Tony shrugged. "I just thought they would do other stuff. Give demands, expectations, promises that'll never be kept- that sort of thing."_

"_Well, since I'd rather not have this be a promise that you won't keep, I'll have to settle on asking for a favor."_

_Setting down his tools, Tony sat up and stretched his arms above his head. "You have my attention."_

_Slowly sinking down on the stool next to him, Mia seemed to waver for a moment. "I know that Fury requested your help with a project he's currently working on," she finally told him. "Do you know exactly what it is he's trying to achieve?"_

_Her brother shrugged, but his eyes sparked with interest. "Considering that he's asking for my help designing a couple of repulsor engines, I'm going to guess some kind of aircraft, but I haven't actually met with him yet. Smart of him to ask me really, after the mess that happened on that last ship. Why? Do you know something?"_

"_I do," Mia admitted. "But I can't tell you what's going on."_

_Pouting, Tony demanded, "Why not?"_

_Mia pressed her lips together. "Do you trust me?"_

_Tony froze. He hadn't expected her to ask him that and he had never seen her look so serious before. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"_

"_Do you trust me?" she pressed._

"_Of course I do," he answered without hesitation. "Always. Do you trust me?"_

"_Always," echoed Mia. "That's why I came to you- I need a no-questions-asked favor."_

_Making sure to hold her gaze, Tony asked, "What do you need me to do?"_

* * *

The plane shook as shockwaves from the explosion hit them.

Clinging to a handle hanging from the ceiling, Steve barked, "Tony! What's going on? What just happened?"

"_MIA!"_

Steve's stomach dropped at the agony and fear in the other man's voice. "What about Mia?" he asked urgently. "Is she alright?" When Tony didn't answer, Steve's voice grew louder. "Tony! Do you have eyes on Mia?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Steve saw Brock shifting closer to him and knew the other man was trying to listen in on the conversation.

"Steve," Natasha called, and her tone made him rush over to her. They were still a ways away from the Kree ship but it was now in sight and Steve was just able to make out a golden dot arching away from the now burning ship and towards the ground some distance away.

"Take us down!" he ordered, tightening the straps of his shield onto his back.

"We don't know who that is," the redhead protested. "You can't be sure that it's-"

"It's either her or it's someone who knows what happened on that ship. Take us down there, _now." _Turning away from Natasha, Steve strode to the back of the plane and hit the button so that the door would open.

"What is he doing?" he heard one of the newer STRIKE members shout over the howling wind. "We're too close to the ground for him to be able to parachute out!"

Steve watched as the golden light crashed into the ground, causing a large crater to form into the desert sand. As soon as they were close enough, Steve leapt from the jet and plummeted to the ground.

When he touched down, Steve rolled across the sand to spread the shock of the impact through his body without breaking anything. Once he began to slow, he jumped to his feet and raced over to the crater. He knew in his bones that it was Hermione down there and he didn't bother pulling his shield off his back.

Hopping down into the surprisingly deep hole, Steve froze at the sight of Hermione's seemingly lifeless body curled up in the sand. "No," he breathed, kneeling beside her. It took only a second but felt like an eternity to find her pulse. She was alive. There was something wrong with her though- her breathing was uneven, and she was flushed and covered in sweat.

"I've got her," he called through his comms. "I've got Mia. She's unconscious though and it feels like she's got a pretty high temp."

"_Get her out of here," _Tony ordered. _"There are still survivors from the ship and I doubt any of them are friendly."_

Steve hesitated, torn. The strategist in him knew that they needed to get Hermione out of the line of fire as soon as possible and that, since he was the one with her, it was only logical he be the one to do so. The soldier in him wanted to stay though- wanted to find the people who hurt her and rip them apart himself.

Gathering Hermione in his arms, Steve jumped up out of the hole in time to see Brock and the other STRIKE team members running towards him.

"We gotta get her on the jet," Brock ordered, eyes scanning the area.

Nodding sharply, Steve led the way back towards the quinjet.

* * *

Thor and the other Asgardian's jumped into action as soon as the ship was destroyed, moving as a well-oiled machine into the burning wreckage to fight the large number of Kree who had managed to survive.

Loki and Carol moved in the opposite direction, searching for Yon-Ragg. Carol knew his M.O. and led Loki away from the crash site and towards a collection of large boulders.

She couldn't feel Mia. That was the only thought running through Carol's head. She couldn't feel Mia and it was all Yon-Ragg's fault and _where the fuck was her kid?_

"_I've got her," _Steve called into the comms- Carol had easily been able to patch herself into their frequency previously to communicate with Stark. _"She's unconscious though and it feels like she's got a pretty high temp."_

"_Get her out of here," _Tony ordered. _"There are still survivors from the ship and I doubt any of them are friendly." _Carol glanced up and saw Tony zooming ahead of them in his suit.

"Go," Loki told her, and Carol flew up and past Stark in the blink of an eye.

"Steve," she called. "About how high is her temperature?"

If he was surprised to suddenly hear Carol's voice in his ear, Steve didn't show it. _"It's gotta be well over a hundred."_

"You can't take her onto the jet," Carol told him, eyes scanning the ground for her former commander. "If her temperature is that high then she's probably not fully in control of her powers."

"_We can't just leave her there!" _Tony argued.

"Thor and the others have the Kree warriors handled," she reminded him firmly. "And we're about to take out their leader. Just get Mia away from any civilians and wait for us to get there."

Steve was silent for a long moment before finally agreeing. _"I'll get her to somewhere clear but I'm not leaving her." _She knew it'd be pointless to argue with him so she didn't bother. If he ended up getting burned, then that was his own fault.

Spotting a shock of blue out of the corner of her eye, Carol zoomed forward and dropped to the ground with a thud. Crouching in the dirt in front of her was Yon-Ragg and as she stared at him, Carol felt so many emotions crashing into at her all at once that it almost made her dizzy.

Rage at what this man had done to her- had stolen from her. Horror at what he might have done to her daughter. Disgust for all the damage he had caused throughout his life but had never given a shit about. And finally- the biggest betrayal of all- a twinge of relief in the very back of her mind at knowing that he hadn't been killed the moment he'd landed on Hala when she'd sent him back all those years ago.

"Hello, Vers," he greeted evenly, staring up at her.

That twinge meant nothing now though and Carol could only think of one thing to say to him. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

* * *

Tony landed on the ground in front of Thor. "Way to make an entrance," he greeted, scanning the destruction around them. "I gotta admit though, it might have made things a little easier on all of us if you guys had shown up earlier."

"Apologies, Friend Stark- we came as soon as we heard. I was not aware of the situation happening here until Lady Carol came to retrieve my brother."

"Yeah, about that." Tony lifted off his visor so that he could look Thor directly in the eye. "What the hell were you thinking bringing your psycho brother back to Earth?"

One of the men standing behind Thor snorted in amusement while the man in question just frowned at Tony in confusion. "I had thought it would be obvious. Mia is Loki's daughter and as such he had every right to join us in our efforts to retrieve her."

Tony snorted. "Maybe, but we can't exactly tell people that, now can we? So now it's just going to look like no one on Asgard cared that he brought an alien army to attack Earth."

"Loki was not the one responsible for leading the Chitauri army here- you know this!" Thor argued.

"But nobody knows that, Thor! And nobody can- if we tell anyone what happened, we'd have to explain just where we got that information from and that's not an option." Tony was feeling too many feelings right then and he was not enjoying the sensation. The main two emotions were also at war with each other because part of him wanted to rush to Mia's side and try to help Steve with her while the other wanted to find Carol and Loki and murder the asshole who hurt his baby sister. Finally, with a sigh, Tony reattached his helmet. "Steve's with Mia a couple hundred yards that way," he pointed. "Whatever that Kree bastard did to her fucked with her powers so we can't safely get her out of here yet. You go join them while I go get your brother."

* * *

Climbing to his feet, Yon-Ragg casually started, "I must admit, Vers, that this day did not go as I had thought it would."

"And how did you think it would go?" Carol spat.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect to meet your daughter." Giving her a small smile, he asked, "Who's her father?"

Raising her hand, she shot a blast of energy at her former commander and he went flying back into the boulders.

"The question of who her father is is absolutely none of your business." Carol was almost shaking with anger. "You should be far more concerned about the fact that _I'm _her mother."

"Why wouldn't I be concerned with my own flesh and blood?"

"SHE IS NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!" Carol shouted. "SHE IS NOT YOUR DAUGHTER- SHE IS NOT YOUR ANYTHING. SHE IS _MY _DAUGHTER!"

"I may not technically be her father, but my blood still runs in her veins, just as it runs in yours," he taunted. "She's more like me than even you'd like to believe- everything that happened here just proves it. That girl blew up an entire ship, murdering innocent civilians who were also on board, just to save herself. I could see it in her eyes you know- she knew I wasn't lying and she made a choice. A choice _you _would never have made. But one I absolutely would have. I wonder who she got that from."

"I believe I can answer that," came Loki's smooth response. Stepping out from behind the rock Yon-Ragg was leaning against, Loki sneered down at the Kree. "So, you're the infamous Yon-Ragg. I'll admit, I have been wishing to meet you for quite some time."

"And you are?" Yon-Ragg asked, face turning disinterested.

"My apologies- how rude of me to not introduce myself. I am Loki of Asgard."

Yon-Ragg's eyes widened. "Really? And here I thought your father had locked you up and thrown away the key."

Loki chuckled. "Oh, I imagine that is what he had hoped to do but there were others there sympathetic to my plight. After all, how could they keep me locked up in good faith when my child's life was at stake?"

* * *

"Cap, what are you doing?" Brock asked, following after Steve as he abruptly veered away from the jet.

"Her temp's too high," Steve answered shortly, coming to a stop a few hundred yards away and carefully lowering Hermione to the ground. "We don't know what happened to her and I was warned that it might be too dangerous to try and move her right now."

Brock stopped a few yards away. "You think they did something to her?" Well, no one could say that the man wasn't quick on the uptake.

"What happens if anyone manages to slip past the others and come to retrieve her?" Brock prodded when Steve didn't answer him.

Steve didn't look away from Hermione. "Then we stop them."

She was still shaking. Her temperature was too high, she was covered in sweat, her eyes kept flickering beneath her closed lids, he had no idea where her uniform was- and the implications of just what had happened to it made him feel a little sick- and Steve didn't know how to help her.

God, he'd just left her. He'd abandoned Hermione to go to D.C. because she'd hurt his feelings and what if he never got the chance to make it up to her? Sure, they had cleared the air a bit before they went to Australia, but they hadn't really spoken since. What if this turned into another missed opportunity- just like Peggy. Except, this time, he'd be the one getting left behind.

_You and Tony and Pepper and… you're my people. And I'm so tired of losing people. I can't lose any more._

He understood that feeling. Steve understood that fear.

Reaching out a faintly shaking hand, Steve carefully brushed some of Hermione's hair off her forehead. "I can't lose you," he whispered to her. "I'm tired of losing people too. So please," Steve pleaded, though whether it was to Hermione or to God he wasn't quite sure. "Please don't make me lose anyone else."

The sound of rushing air made both men look up in time to see Thor descending towards them. "Steve!" he shouted in greeting, landing a few feet away from them and striding over. "How is my niece?"

"Niece?" echoed Brock, raising a brow.

"Yeah," Steve scrambled to answer, shooting a quick glare at Thor. "Thor apparently sees Mia as family."

"Yes," the blond agreed- thankfully catching on quick. "Just as it was during my first trip to Midgard, my short time here previously still allowed me to form strong bonds with those I met."

The STRIKE captain nodded in understanding, but Steve could tell that he didn't really believe them. He had no idea how they were going to explain any of this to S.H.I.E.L.D. and he honestly wasn't looking forward to trying. They couldn't know about Hermione's true identity or her powers. Some of the agents- like Rumlow- might know that she had magic but that was it. Because if they knew any more, then things would get really bad really quick.

Hermione shifting drew everyone's attention and then she groaned.

"Hey," Steve called softly, leaning in. "Mia? Can you hear me?"

Her eyes slowly fluttered opened and she stared hazily up at them. "Steve?" she whispered hoarsely.

"I'm right here," he reassured her. His hands hovered over her without actually making contact. "Are you alright?"

"No," she whispered, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks, and she began to shudder violently.

"Hey," Steve called to her, cupping her face in his large hands. "Stay with me."

"Too hot," whimpered Hermione.

Steve looked at Thor, who was staring down at Hermione with a clenched jaw. "What's happening to her?"

"I do not know," the Asgardian admitted, voice tight. "These types of things were where my brother excelled, not I."

"Then where is he?" Steve demanded impatiently. "Where are the others? What's taking them so long?"

* * *

"You're her father?" Yon-Ragg asked in disbelief.

"What, you couldn't guess?" Loki taunted.

Turning to Carol, Yon-Ragg demanded, "How did you meet an Asgardian?"

She folded her arms over her chest. "That's really none of your business."

"Also, not really what we're here for," they heard Tony state as he landed on the ground next to Carol with a loud thud.

Yon-Ragg raised an eyebrow at him. "And, you are?"

"Oh, me? I'm just the one who's going to kill you if she doesn't do it first."

"How descriptive," the Kree snorted. "I'm trembling in my boots now."

"If you had good sense, you would be," Carol sneered. "But, let's be honest, that's one thing you've always lacked. After all, if you had any, you wouldn't have stuck around with the murderous Kree Empire for so long."

That managed to get a rise out of the Kree's former shining star of an officer. "Unlike you, Vers, I don't turn my back on my people in order to make myself stand out. What is it you're considered now, the protector of the universe?"

Carol gave a harsh bark of laughter. "Yeah, no. You see, I'm self-aware enough to know that I'm no protector. Because if I was, I would have killed you all those years ago after I ripped a few of Ronan's ships apart. Instead, I left you and him alive to terrorize the galaxy. I didn't _protect _those people who you and he went on to hurt. I didn't save those lives."

"But, when we kill you now," Tony interjected, "I think it'll probably be spun as 'protection'. I just want you to know though, that us killing you actually has nothing to do with protection and everything to do with revenge."

"You went after my daughter," Loki hissed, moving to stand beside Carol. "And you'll pay for that mistake with your life. The fact that your death will ensure that no one else find out about her, and may help save a number of other lives, is just a bonus."

* * *

By the time Loki, Carol, and Tony reached them, the Warriors Three and Sif had already joined the group.

"How is she?" Carol demanded, crouching down by Mia's head and resting a hand on her forehead.

"Her temperature went up again and she keeps going in and out of consciousness," Steve answered. "You guys find the guy who did this?"

"Yep," Tony answered, pulling off his helmet. "He's not gonna be a problem for us anymore."

"Her temperature is way too high," Carol interrupted. Glancing over at Rumlow for a brief moment, she continued, "If it goes up any more…"

Thor glanced over at Loki, who seemed almost frozen in place. "How do we go about fixing this?"

Carol debated their options. The easiest way would be to wake Mia up and have her release her powers until her temperature stabilized- Carol was pretty sure it was the unused energy that was wreaking havoc on Mia's internal systems. However, since S.H.I.E.L.D. was here, that wasn't an option. "Can you still lower your core temperature?" she finally asked Loki.

Loki blinked and glanced at Carol. "I can," he finally answered. "Do you believe that will be enough?"

"Enough for now," she answered shortly. "We just need to keep it from going up until we get her out of here."

"Sorry, but who are you?" Rumlow finally interrupted, looking between the blond and Loki.

"Huh, I thought the uniform would have kind of given that away," Carol commented dryly as Loki moved forward, his uniform shimmering into a plain pair of black pants and a thin white shirt. Bending down, he pulled Mia into his arms. His skin began to take on a faint blue tint and Mia sighed at the contact, shifting closer to the man and automatically burying her face into his shoulder.

It only took a moment for it all to click for Brock. "You're the one who took care of the nuke last year in New York."

Carol smirked but said nothing as she followed Loki and Steve to the quinjet.

"Carol," Natasha nodded in greeting when the blond reached the plane, ignoring Loki entirely.

"Natasha." She didn't know much about the other woman except that Mia seemed to dislike her and that she was apparently one of Fury's favorites. Considering all the things Fury had recently pulled, Carol wasn't sure that that was a good thing. Clint seemed to trust her though and Carol had grown to like the archer.

"Natasha," Thor rumbled in greeting.

"Long time no see. Who're your friends?"

As introductions were made, Loki sat down in the closest available seat- ignoring the agents standing around him with their hands on their guns. Carol sat next to him and stared at their daughter. _"Anything?"_ she asked him softly.

"_Her temperature hasn't gone up."_

"_Small comforts."_

"Where to?" Natasha asked Steve, walking towards the front of the jet.

"We need to go to D.C. to-" Brock started.

"Take us to Manhattan. Now." Tony interrupted.

For a moment, it seemed like Brock was about to argue the point before he finally just shrugged. "Alright then. I'll call Fury and let him know. Just out of curiosity though, anyone want to explain just what Mia was doing out here?"

"No," Tony and Steve answered at the same time.

* * *

Mia's head rolled off of Loki's shoulder and she moaned. When her eyes opened, she stared upside down at her mother. "Mom?" she whispered, too quiet for any of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to hear.

"Hey," Carol responded softly. "You're okay- you're safe."

"Mom," Mia repeated, voice choking on a sob. "Mom. I think I… Mom, I think I really messed up."

"Shh," she chided softly. "Everything going to be okay." Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to Mia's forehead as she had done thousands of times before when her daughter was growing up.

Mia flinched. "I killed them. I knew there was people on there and I killed them." She started to hyperventilate. "I killed them. _I killed them-"_

"Stop," Loki ordered firmly, shifting Mia so that her head was upright again. "You did what you had to in order to survive. You did nothing wrong." When it seemed like she was going to continue arguing, he softly told her, "Sleep now. All will seem better tomorrow."

Carol watched with sad eyes as Mia did as she was told, eyes immediately slipping closed again.

"What's she talking about?" Tony asked quietly, eyes glued to his sister's face.

When it was clear that neither Carol nor Loki were going to answer, Thor stated, "That is a discussion best had elsewhere."

Steve didn't say anything- didn't even move slightly in his spot across from Loki and Mia. What happened before didn't matter right now. All that mattered was that Hermione was going to be alright.

* * *

Pepper and Fury were waiting on the roof when they landed at the Tower. As soon as the door opened, Pepper was racing onto the plane.

"Where is she?" she demanded before spotting Mia in Loki's arms. Not pausing for even a moment, Pepper moved to kneel in front of the Trickster and placed a hand on top of Mia's head. "What happened? Is she alright?"

"She will be," Carol reassured, moving to shift the woman far enough out of the way for Loki to stand. "We need to get her inside."

"Carol," Fury greeted. "Glad you could make it."

"Save it," she snapped, walking off the ship with Pepper and Loki. "You want to hear about what happened- ask Rumlow or Natasha."

"What do you need?" Tony asked, stepping up behind them along with Steve.

"You finished up her training room?" Carol asked softly.

He knew exactly what she was referring to. "Yeah, it's right near Banner's Hulk-out room. This way." Tony stepped in front of them and brought them through a hall to a flight of stairs and down a floor.

This floor only had two doors, one on either side of the hall, and one side was paneled with windows looking into the room. The room behind a bright green door was clearly for the Hulk while the other plain silver door must have been for Mia.

Throwing open the door, Tony ushered Steve, Loki, and Carol through but stopped Thor and his companions before they could enter. "Nope, sorry, but you're gonna have to wait out here." When Thor started to protest, Tony cut him off. "Look, normally I would just let you in but if I let you in, I'm guessing your buddies will want to come in too and that's too many people- she needs breathing room. So, you wait out here and watch and, if Fury tries to come down here, use whatever force you deem necessary to keep him and his minions away."

There was a tense moment of silence before Thor finally nodded. "Very well then."

Watching him closely for another second to make sure he was being honest, Tony finally turned on his heel and walked into the room.

As soon as he entered, Loki demanded, "Is this room strong enough to withstand Mia using her powers."

Scowling, Tony answered, "Yes. She and I designed it ourselves so that she'd have a safe place to practice- not that she's actually been using it. Why?"

"Whatever Yon-Ragg gave her is affecting her powers- that's why her temperature is so high. She needs to release the energy building up in order for her body to stabilize itself," Carol explained as Loki set Mia down on the padded floor. "It's going to be too dangerous for any of you to be in here while we do this, so you'll have to wait outside."

"I'm not leaving her," Tony said stubbornly.

"You stay in here and you're going to end up fried to a crisp," the blond told him bluntly as she moved to kneel beside her daughter. "Even Loki can't be in here while we do this. We're going to be releasing a large amount of energy is a short span of time- I'm sure you can figure out how that'll end for your if you stay."

Steve glanced at Tony, unsure what to do. He also didn't want to leave Hermione but, if Carol was right, then they didn't really have a choice.

Tony seemed to realize that too and he threw his arms in the air. "Fine! But I will be right outside the door."

Carol squinted at him. "What exactly do you think is going to happen here if you leave? She's my kid, remember?"

Without saying another word, Tony marched out of the room. Before following after him, Steve knelt down next to Hermione and brushed his fingers over her cheek. When she stirred and squinted up at him, he forced a smile and said, "Be careful."

"Too late for that," Hermione responded, coughing lightly.

Steve's heart clenched at the pain in Hermione's voice, but he forced himself to stand up and walk away.

"You're sure of this?" Loki asked Carol. "Despite Stark's claims, there's no guarantee that this room will be able to handle the amount of energy you will be releasing. If it does not, you could destabilize the entire building and kill almost everyone inside."

"I know," Carol sighed, shifting Mia so that her head was in her lap. "It would have been safer to do this outside but with all the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents around, that really wasn't an option. I'll just have to make do- if I help Mia release her excess energy at a lower level but for a longer amount of time, it should have the same effect as it would having her release it all at once."

"You hope."

"You got a better idea? Because I am all ears."

Mia was out of time though. Her body began to faintly glow and her eyes snapped back open, her brown iris' completely hidden by the glowing light.

"Fuck," Carol swore. "Get out of here, Loki!"

For once, Loki did as he was told, racing out of the room and slamming the door behind him just a wave of energy exploded out of his daughter.

* * *

"_Pack a bag," Maria ordered her daughter, pushing her out of the kitchen and towards the stairs._

_Monica twisted around to stare at her mother in confusion, even as she took the stairs two at a time. "What? Why? What's going on?"_

"_Just got a call from Fury," the older woman snapped. "Carol's back."_

"_And that's causing you to freak out why?"_

"_Because a Kree warship was also just spotted in Utah."_

_Separating at the top of the stairs, each woman went into their rooms and grabbed their go bags. They always had one at the ready and it would only take them a minute or so to finish collecting anything else they wanted to bring. "It's been almost 20 years," Monica called to Maria. "Why are they back now?"_

"_If I had to guess, I think it has something to do with what mini-Carol did in New York." Maria remembered how worried Carol had been after everything went down- scared that someone would find out about her daughter. She couldn't know for sure that the Kree were here for Mia, but Maria had the sinking feeling that it was all connected. If anything happened to her baby girl, Maria wasn't sure what Carol would do. Either way though, Maria wouldn't leave her oldest friend to face the aftermath alone._

"_Where are we headed?" Monica asked when they met back in the hall._

"_New York City. We're going to pay a visit to Stark Tower."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N): Happy Holidays! Hope everyone gets the chance to relax some this holiday season!**

**You know, a reviewer for one of my other stories said I should post a new chapter as a gift to my readers. But, in addition to the fact that Christmas is coming up, it's my birthday on Monday so, if anyone deserves a present, it's me. So, what're you gonna get me?**

**lolololol I'm so tired.**

**Shoutouts to KnowInsight, Sora Loves Rain, iChaos, alexaguamenti, Silas Serenity, Alyxia, Pterodactyl1993, Adharablack85-2, Catzandbookz8, KindaTwisted21, Westcoast222, percabethbooklion, MarieGT18, and Guests for reviewing! Loving how much your loving this!**

**Oof. Okay. What you need to know about this chapter... Well, there's a character that's kind of Marvel and kind of original. Like, a character from the comics and not the movies but that I'm making into my own character because I've never read the comics and I have no clue what she was like in them. You'll understand when you get to her. Oh, and Dr. List is a HYDRA scientist that works with Strucker but it's fine if you don't remember him- he was barely in the movies and only really touched on in the Agents of SHIELD show which I have not seen and do not plan to because I cannot add anymore to this world. I just can't.**

**This chapter is unbetaed and I am tired so I probably missed things in my review. All mistakes are on you this time because I don't want them and it's (almost) my birthday.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Loki leaned back against the wall of his cell and watched as Thor walked up the stairs and out of the dungeon._

"_Do these conversations happen often?" Mia asked, slumping over to rest her head on her father's shoulder. She had managed to project herself into Loki's cell by using their mental link as a stabilizing point. Since Loki had been brought back to Asgard, Mia came to visit him as often as she could. This was the first time that someone else had also wished to speak with him while she was there though. It was thanks to Loki's illusion that Thor hadn't been able to see her._

"_Far more often than I would like," the Trickster god muttered. Once more, the bumbling oaf had come to tell him what Heimdall had seen happening in __his__ daughter's life, as though Loki wasn't well aware of everything Mia did._

_Mia hummed. "It's kind of unsettling, the realization that when you told me 'Heimdall sees all' you actually meant that he can see everything. Thor just regurgitated far too much information about my dealing than I am comfortable with."_

"_I can teach you a spell that can block his gaze," Loki offered. "You will have to use it sparingly though- if it is placed too often, Odin may send someone down to Midgard."_

"_And what a tragedy that would be," she muttered. "Though, I do believe sending a few of Odin's warriors back in pieces would send him quite the message."_

_He laughed. "How vengeful. I like it."_

"_I learned from the best."_

* * *

_Mia stared blankly at the fog surrounding her. It felt similar to the time when she had been trapped inside the Mind Stone and yet not. Was she in another stone?_

_Mind, Time, Reality, Space, Power, and Soul. The Infinity Stones. The stones created at the start of the universe- each representing a fundamental and unchanging truth. But that wasn't quite right, was it? There was also one other aspect of existence that was ever-present._

_Gods, she'd killed them. Mia had burned innocents in order to save herself. How many of them had been on that ship? Who were they? What were they like? What future had she stolen from them?_

_What had she done?_

"_You've found yourself trapped in a place you are entirely unfamiliar with, alone without any friends, family, or allies at your back, yet your concern is still entirely focused on the wrongs you've committed. How unusual."_

_Looking over her shoulder, Mia found a woman standing behind her and watching her with vague interest. She wore a dark purple dress and a black cloak- the dark colors an intense contrast with her pale skin and dark hair._

"_Hello, Mia," she greeted. "I thought it was time you and I talked."_

* * *

Mia was unconscious for the next four days. Despite their best efforts, no one could figure out what she had been dosed with.

Bruce had flown back from South America as soon as Tony got word to him about what had happened. He had been visiting his ex-girlfriend, Betty Ross, in her new lab, located far away from the looming presence of her father, General Thaddeus Ross. Bruce and Betty hadn't spoken since the incident in Harlem and he had wanted to check on her and see how she was doing. Once he heard about Mia though, Bruce had raced back as quickly as he could.

He had taken numerous blood samples, run every scan he could think of with the assistance of Loki and the other Asgardians, but nothing came of it. With every day that Mia didn't awaken, everyone's mood grew even darker.

As soon as Mia was brought down to her room, Carol had crawled into bed beside her and refused to leave. The only times she moved were to go to the bathroom and to eat. She just laid there, staring at her daughter, and praying that she would eventually wake up.

Loki, on the other hand, seemed barely able to sit still. Sometimes he would sit on the other side of his daughter and cast spell after spell on her, attempting to wake her up any way he knew how. When that failed, he would lay his hand on her forehead and stay like that for hours in a desperate attempt to link his mind with hers again.

If he wasn't there, Loki could be found roaming aimlessly around the tower. Fury had wanted to leave a number of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents there to keep an eye on the Asgardian, but Tony refused.

"My house, my rule," Tony had taunted Fury, taking his anger about the situation out on the stoic man. "I've already got to put up with the Three Stooges and Thor's jilted lover- I'm not putting up with anyone else."

The longer his sister had been out, the more Tony seemed to spiral and Pepper- who could usually be counted on to be a calming presence for the genius- wasn't doing much better. When Loki wasn't next to Mia, then Pepper would be there in his place. In one of Tony's old sweatshirts and a pair of baggy sweatpants, she looked nothing like the young, successful CEO she was. The large bags under her eyes was proof that she wasn't looking after herself either.

"How long can she go without food or fluids?" Pepper had roused herself enough to ask Carol on the second day. "Should we try to get an IV set up for her or something?"

"No," Carol murmured. "She'll be fine- she can go for a while without eating."

"Like Steve," the redhead whispered.

"Like Steve."

Steve hadn't spoken since he'd told Hermione to be careful. He'd walked around the apartment like a ghost- floating between the Mia's room, his room, and the room Mia had set aside for him as a gym of sorts that contained a punching bag she had charmed not to break.

This wasn't an enemy he could fight. This wasn't something he could help Hermione with. He was useless. He was going to lose someone else he cared about and there was nothing Steve could do about it.

* * *

"_Who are you?" Mia asked softly. She could feel the power radiating off the woman, but it was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. It wasn't like the magic that hung in the air around Loki or the energy surrounding Carol. It wasn't like the lightning crackling off of Thor's skin or even the darkness bound to the Ancient One. Yet, it somehow still seemed familiar to her..._

_Tilting her head, the woman studied Mia closely. "I have known you for many years, young one. I watched you burn and wither as Hermione, observed you train and strengthen as Mia Lokisdottir-Danvers, and saw as you started to shine as Mia Stark. Through it all- through the tears, the pain, the fights, and the blood- I walked by your side though you could not see me. There were more than a few times where we almost met, but you always managed to escape me at just the last second."_

_A chill crept down Mia's spine as riddle she'd heard once as a child popped into her mind._

'_Some try to hide, some try to cheat,_

_But time will show we will always meet,_

_Try as you might to guess my name_

_But I'm sure you'll know when it's you I claim'_

"_Death," she whispered._

_Of course. Of course Death would be an actual entity and of course it would come to her now._

"_Still so very clever," Death remarked softly. "I am known as many things, but you may call me Dabria."_

* * *

After the second day Mia remained unconscious, Thor had returned alone to Asgard to see if any aid could be found there for Mia. Heimdall had kept Frigga and Odin informed of what was going on and his mother was waiting for him upon his return.

"Do you have a sample of what was given to her?" she immediately asked as Thor stepped towards her.

He shook his head. "We were unable to find anything in the wreckage of the ship. Dr. Banner did gift us with a sample of Mia's blood- perhaps the healers could find an answer with it."

Frigga held her hand out for the vial. "Your father has ordered none to help us with this, but he forgets himself- the healers answer to me, not him."

Thor just nodded, eyes cold and bleak. "What if," he started, giving voice to the thought he had dared not speak in front of his brother. "What if it's too late?"

Grabbing hold of his hand, Frigga squeezed it tightly. "Do not give up hope, my son. All will be well."

* * *

"_Why are you here?" Mia asked, folding her arms across her chest. "What do you want?"_

_Dabria stepped to the side and a path suddenly appeared on the ground below their feet. "Walk with me."_

"_I've heard it's an ill omen to walk with Death," she retorted dully but fell into step beside the other woman._

"_Better walking with Death than courting it," Dabria snorted, eyes turning hard._

_Silence fell between the two, but Mia could only stand for it so long before she spoke again. "You didn't answer my questions."_

_For a long moment, the only sound to be heard was the swishing of Dabria's cloak moving back and forth and the trod of their feet on the path. Finally, she said, "You know, from the very start of your life you may have been considered a slightly unusual human, but you were nothing outstanding. You were intelligent, clever, outspoken, and strong, but so are many others. There was never really anything about you that was enough to draw my attention because you were turning out to be so ordinary."_

_That was not at all what Mia was expecting and her feeling of unease increased. "Well, what need was there for me to be special when the-Boy-Who-Lived was hanging about?"_

_She laughed. "That boy was even more boring than you. Dumbledore's little lamb that was too stupid to avoid the slaughter. If he ever managed to have an original thought in his head, it was quickly swept away by the nonsense being spewed at him by the adults surrounding him. No, out of your entire group, the only one even slightly interesting is Luna. Looney Luna, able to see through the veil between the worlds without going mad and understand what the whispers coming through the cracks are saying. And, of course, young Neville."_

_A half-smile appeared on Mia's face at the thought of Luna. "Yes," she agreed. "Luna was far better than the rest of us put together- so was Neville. Could he also-"_

"_Out of all of you, Neville was the only one who knew the truth," Dabria interrupted. "Can you guess what that truth is?"_

_Hermione thought for a moment, remembering the young boy she'd met on the train who'd turned into the young man she'd fought shoulder-to-shoulder with in the Department of Mysteries. She remembered Bellatrix's cackle and a gum wrapper. "There are worse things than death," she whispered. Hermione had almost succumbed to one herself._

"_Funny how you can see that yet are still blind to the obvious when it comes to so many other things."_

"_And what do you mean by that?" Mia challenged, unable to help taking the bait._

_Dabria looked over to meet her eyes. "Death is infinite- a constant in reality that can never be changed. You try to fight the inevitable because you fear that, if you don't, you will turn into someone you hate."_

_Mia flinched. She knew what Dabria was saying. "'For the Greater Good'."_

"_Precisely," Dabria nodded. "The shadow of Albus Dumbledore still looms over you, even after all this time. You fear that if you let someone die- or if you do not let the weight of the dead bring you to your knees- then you will be exactly like him. But in allowing your fear to govern you, you have missed the most basic of lessons."_

_For some reason, Mia couldn't help remembering the moment the Time Stone had shown her of the Ancient One and a man. "And what lesson is that?"_

"_That death is an inevitability of life and it's an inevitability of war. No matter how hard you try, you will not be able to save everyone. You are entering into a war, little one. You are starting the fight of your life- one that will span across the universe. People are going to die no matter how hard you seek to change that fact and the longer you fight against that reality, the worse it is going to be for you."_

"_You're here because of the people I killed," Mia hissed through clenched teeth._

"_The people you killed mean nothing in the grand scheme of things," Dabria told her impassively. "What is a handful of lives compared to half of all live in the universe?"_

_Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. "They died because I killed them. That wasn't a war or a battle- that was a choice. I killed them to save myself."_

"_And in doing so you saved the lives of many," Dabria answered. "For after the Kree had fled with you, they planned to destroy the planet- a fact you were well-aware of. Besides, what do you think would have happened to those refugees if you hadn't killed them?"_

_That made Mia pause. What would have happened had they lived? For all her thoughts on the lives they might have had if she hadn't blown up the ship, they were Kree hostages._

"_What you did was sacrifice," Dabria spoke, knowing what she was thinking. "But what could have been was a slaughter. Yon-Ragg and his men would have taken them back to Hala along with you and then made a public spectacle of murdering each and every one of them. Their deaths would have been long, painful, and more terrifying than you could ever imagine. There was never going to be a happy ending for them, Mia- either they would have died on that ship or they would have died on an unknown land, but it would have been death all the same."_

"_That doesn't make it okay!"_

"_Does it not?" She sounded almost genuinely curious. "When you kill someone to save another, that is just. Why then is it wrong to kill in order to prevent a greater tragedy from happening?"_

* * *

"Hello, Mr. Stark," came the mild greeting from the elevator.

Tony's head snapped up, eyes wild and bloodshot. Squinting at the figure for a moment, Tony finally recognized who it was. "Well, if it isn't S.H.I.E.L.D.'s finest agent."

Phil Coulson gave him a tight smile, eyes scanning over Tony with concern. "I see you haven't been sleeping."

"No, really?" Tony sneered. "Wonder why that is. Couldn't possibly be because my sister is currently in some kind of coma and no one can tell me how it happened and why she won't wake up, could it? Or hey, maybe it's because a plethora of fucking agents keep showing up at my door demanding answers that I don't fucking have- though even if I did, I wouldn't tell you shit. I'd ask why you're here but gosh, I think I can guess."

"Mr. Stark," he started, before being interrupted.

"Phil?" Pepper asked in confusion, stepping out of Mia's room. She'd thought she'd heard the agent's voice, but it had been such a long time since they'd last seen one another. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Pepper," he greeted with a small smile. "Officially, I'm here to check on Mia's condition and make sure Loki is still where he's supposed to be. Unofficially, I wanted to see how you all are doing. I know this must be tough for you."

"Tough?" repeated a rough voice from the hallway. Steve walked forward, standing at Pepper's shoulder. "I don't really think tough is the best word to use to describe all this, do you?"

"Captain," Phil started to respond, holding up his hands in a placating manner.

"Save it," Steve snapped, slashing his hand through the air. "I don't want to hear it. I know you've got a job to do but it's not happening here- not now. Until she wakes up, we don't want to see anyone remotely related to S.H.I.E.L.D. within 100 feet of this tower, got it?"

* * *

"_This is bigger than your morals," Dabria warned. "Larger than the naïve beliefs you hold dear."_

_Mia stared blankly ahead, focused on nothing more than putting one foot in front of the other._

_Dabria sighed. "Fine. Hermione Granger appreciated numbers, yes? Appreciated math and logic and order. So, if I told you that sacrificing the lives of 40 people would spare the lives of 3 billion, would you do it? Would you sacrifice those 40 lives in order to save countless others?"_

_She didn't answer, but Dabria didn't need her to._

"_Is that a number you could live with? 40 in exchange for billions? If not, could you live with the alternative?"_

_Finally reacting, Mia turned to look at her. "You said something before about half of all life in the universe."_

"_I did."_

"_Is that Thanos' plan then?" Mia demanded. "To destroy half of all life in the entire universe? What could possibly drive him to do such a thing?"_

"_Thanos seeks to court Death," Dabria admitted, the edges of her lips curling. "He seeks my attention and has apparently decided that increasing my workload to an impossible degree is the way to go."_

_For just a moment, Dabria seemed less the embodiment of death to Mia and more like a person suffering under the unwanted attentions of another and unable to do anything about it._

"_I guide every living creature in this universe to the beyond," she continued. "A difficult enough job already considering how quickly this universe and it's creations have traveled and expanded. Now, I am forced to try and find a way to put a stop to a man who has deluded himself into believing that making my life infinitely more difficult is the way court me. It's bad enough that he's large and purple, but this is just very unsexy."_

_Mia choked on air._

* * *

When Thor returned from Asgard, he was met by Loki, Pepper, Tony, Hogun, and Frandral.

"Well," Loki demanded as soon as the Bifrost dispersed. "What did you learn?"

The sad look Thor gave him told Loki all he needed to know and, with a growl, the Asgardian spun on his heel and strode back into the tower.

"Nothing?" Pepper asked, face falling.

"I am sorry," Thor told her softly. "We know not what is happening to her. From what our healers were able to tell us, whatever was given to her by the Kree is gone- she should have awoken already."

"Well she's hasn't!" Tony snapped, hands shaking at his sides. "She's not awake so obviously your healers are wrong." He turned to follow after Loki, throwing one last comment over his shoulder. "What is the point of you being here if you're not even going to be helpful?"

"She is his family too," interjected Fandral- loyal to the end, even if he might disagree with Thor's motives on being there.

"Family," Pepper repeated softly. "Considering how things turned out between Thor and Loki, I wonder if any of you Asgardians really even know what that word is supposed to mean."

* * *

"_What do you want from me?" Mia asked, coming to a stop and turning to face Dabria. "Why am I here?"_

_Dabria also came to a stop. "I cannot stop Thanos myself. There are rules I am forced to follow," she admitted. "What I need is a champion to fight in my stead."_

_She gaped at her. "And you thought I would be a good candidate for the job because I stole away innocent lives so that I could save my own?!"_

"_No, I chose you because I know now that you're willing to do whatever it takes," Dabria snapped. "You hold fast to your morals and beliefs but, when it comes right down to it, you will do what needs to be done. Though your mind may try and convince you otherwise, that is a truth you can never deny." _

"_If that's the case, then there's no need for you to make me your champion!" Mia argued wildly. "According to you, I'll do what you want anyway!"_

"_True," Dabria smirked. "I just thought you'd enjoy having a title. However, I am also aware that this is a relatively new realization for you, so I am going to help you come to grips with this new reality."_

_The landscape around them suddenly started to change, the fog clearing to show that they were standing in the midst of snow-covered mountains._

"_What do you mean?" she demanded. "Where are we?"_

"_We're at the start of a story and a tragic one at that."_

* * *

Carol brushed the hair off of her daughter's forehead. "I know you can hear me," she whispered. "I can feel you right now, you know. Loki's too unsteady to be able to but I can. You're still connected to your body but somehow, you're also not really inside it, are you? I'm sure your father would know exactly what's happening, but I don't know where he's at right now."

Trying to swallow down the lump in her throat, Carol continued. "I know you're feeling pretty lost right now- that you're scared and sad and angry and don't know what to do. But you have to know that no matter what happens, you're still my kid- I'm always going to love you and I'll never be disappointed in you. But you've gotta come back now, okay?" Leaning forward, Carol rested her forehead on the top of Mia's head. "You've gotta come back. Please, Mia, you have to wake up.

"Please."

* * *

_A scream rent through the air, echoing against the mountains, and Mia's head snapped back to watch as a train barreled by overhead. Not far ahead of them, something fell out of the air and slammed into the ground._

_Before she could stop herself, Mia was rushing forward. As she got closer, she realized that what fell from the sky was actually a who- a man in a blue coat. When she was close enough to see his face, Mia gasped. It was Bucky._

_It was Bucky and he still seemed to be alive._

"_What is this?" she shouted, looking over her shoulder at Dabria, who was leaning against a large boulder and watching her with folded arms._

"_I already told you- this is the start of a story." She nodded her head at Bucky. "The start of his."_

_Mia could faintly hear the sound of men speaking and snow crunching beneath boots walking towards them. A group of men appeared from around the corner and walked through her to crowd around Bucky. One of them began barking commands at another and Mia realized that they were Russian soldiers._

'_We're at the start of a story and a tragic one at that.'_

"_No," Mia breathed. It wasn't possible._

"_Yes," Dabria countered. "As far as you've come, Hermione, you're still just that same girl who desperately needs some sort of assignment in order to understand the lesson. So, here it is: see just what became of James Buchanan Barnes. Walk a mile in his shoes. Then, once you leave, you're going to save him. You will slay the HYDRA trapping him- you will murder any who get in your way. _

"_And then afterwards, you're going to have to live with the fact that you have murdered more people than you can count for a man whose hands are soaked are also soaked in the blood of the innocents. Unlike you though, he'll have an excuse for what he's done- an out, if you will. He'll be able to wipe away what he's done. _

_But you won't. Everything you're going to do is all on you. You will either rise to the challenge or be crushed under the weight of your ineptitude. So, Mia, are you ready to find out just what you're made of?"_

* * *

Carol pulled away, roughly swiping at the tears in her eyes. "God," she swore. "I feel like I'm losing my mind."

"The implication being that you had it previously?"

"You're too smart for your own good," she huffed. Then, she froze.

"Well, I wish I could tell you where it went," Mia whispered weakly. "I certainly don't have it- as we've all seen."

Slowly looking down, Carol found Mia blinking up at her. For just a moment, her mind went entirely blank. Was this really happening? Or had she truly lost it? Was her grief causing her to hallucinate? "Mia?" she finally choked out.

"Mom," her daughter whispered, tears pooling into her eyes and slowly trickling out of the corners. "Mom, I don't feel good."

"Oh, god, hang on, okay?" Carol went from hopefully relieved to panicked in a heartbeat. "Just hang on- don't close your eyes."

"Miss Danvers, I have alerted the others that Miss Stark is awake," JARVIS interjected, just as Steve burst into the room.

Striding over to the bed, he locked eyes with Hermione. "Hey," he greeted, beaming at her as he sank to his knees beside her bed. "You're awake."

"Steve," she sighed. "Steve, I made a mistake. I made a mistake, Steve- I shouldn't have done that."

Finally seeming to notice her tears, Steve gave Carol a concerned glance before looking back at Hermione. "Everything's okay, Hermione- I promise. Everything's going to be okay."

"No, it's not," she sobbed. "It's not okay."

"Mia!" Loki came racing into the room, Tony and Pepper at his heels. Carol shifted so that Loki could sit beside her.

Pepper came up next to Steve and reached out a hand to brush against Mia's forehead. "Thank god," she sighed. "We were so scared."

"JARVIS said you didn't feel good," Tony interrupted, running relieved eyes over his sister's face. "What's wrong?"

"I shouldn't have done that," Mia repeated. "I saw… I shouldn't have done that."

Loki's expression turned stormy. "_Lille duen, _what did you see? What's wrong?"

Starting to shudder, Mia finally gasped, "It's so cold."

Without anyone noticing, Bruce had slipped into the room behind them. At Mia's words, he snapped into action. "JARVIS, what's her temperature?" he called, as he moved forward.

"Miss Stark's temperature is currently 97.6 degrees and dropping rapidly." JARVIS' obvious worry caused fear to stab into the others.

"Has her temperature ever gotten that low below?" Bruce calmly asked Carol and Loki, reaching out to take ahold of Mia's wrist.

"Yes," Carol softly answered, keeping her eyes locked on Mia as she ran her fingers through her daughter's brown curls. "When she was experimenting with her father's powers. It never happened unintentionally though."

"Her temperature going that low will not cause her any permanent harm," Loki spoke authoritatively. "But her temperature is generally rests between mine and Carol's."

"Which is?" Bruce prodded.

"Around 103."

Pepper was starting to panic. "Bruce, what's wrong? What's going on? Is she okay?"

"Alright, out- everyone out," Bruce finally snapped. "There's too many people in here. If you are not her parent or Steve, I need you to leave the room."

"Why are we getting thrown out but _Steve _gets to stay?" Tony demanded.

"Because he runs hotter than normal and I don't have a lot of ideas right now. We need to stabilize Mia's temperature quickly and unless Loki's got a magical solution for us right now, this is one of the safest way's I know to do it." The longer he touched her, the more concerned Bruce became because he could feel Mia growing colder the more they spoke.

"What do you need from me?" asked Steve, ready and willing to do whatever it took to help.

"To use your body heat," Carol answered for Bruce, knowing what he was thinking. Standing up from the bed- and shoving Loki off as she moved- Carol pulled the blankets down off of her daughter. Gesturing to the empty space beside Mia, Carol told him, "With how hot you generally run, you should be able to stop her temperature from decreasing any more than it already is. I'd do it myself, but my core temperature is probably too high for this- too much warmth in too short a time could cause her to go into shock."

"What can we do to help?" Pepper asked, tone firm. She had heard what Bruce said about needing space but neither she nor Tony were going to sit around outside.

Seeming to understand, Bruce told them, "I need you to find some kind of electric blanket and some decaffeinated tea- we need to try and keep her hydrated and we need to raise her temperature before she gets hypothermia." He wasn't initially sure that that was something that could happen to Mia but since neither Loki or Carol were countering him, Bruce thought that it was a possibility.

"I'll get the tea, you find the blanket," Pepper ordered Tony, leading him out of the room.

Climbing into the bed without protest, Steve wrapped an arm around Hermione and brought her close to his chest. His chest tightened at how chilled Hermione seemed and he could feel her shudder against him as she turned to press her face into his neck. "What happened, Hermione?" he whispered. "What did you see?"

"Ice," she gasped. "I… I… there's so much ice and it's too cold and it _burns._"

Loki inhaled sharply as he moved to sit back down on the edge of the bed, Carol standing beside him. "I believe I may know what is happening, but I will need to check to be sure." He needed physical contact in order to properly weave his magic.

Quickly reaching out his hand, Loki pressed it against Mia's forehead and finally reconnected his mind with his daughter's. Her defenses were shattered, yet there was some sort of block around her mind preventing him from actually being able to see anything that she had observed while she was unconscious. He could see the after affects though. Slipping his free hand into Carol's, he also reestablished the connection with her.

"It is as I feared," Loki said grimly. "A magical bond has been formed between her and another though I am unable to tell who. That connection is somehow causing this."

"She's experiencing what they are," Carol hissed, picking up on some of Loki's thoughts and connecting the dots for herself. "I think… I think they're currently frozen right now, so her body is trying to do the same. After what happened with the Kree, her magic was so… shattered, that it latched on to them and tied them together."

"So, what do we do?" Steve asked, his arms tightening around Hermione. "How do we fix this?"

When the mental bridges to her father and mother were reforged, Mia had begun to relax. Her magic whirled inside her, trying to bring things to right.

Distantly, Mia heard her father saying, "Her magic is what formed the connection- only she can break it."

"Why can't you do it?" her mother demanded. "Your magic is similar enough."

"Because if I do it, it could irrevocably damage not only her magic but also her soul!" Mia grimaced at the rage in her father's voice.

"Hermione," Steve whispered. "I know you can hear us. You need to listen to your father- you need to break whatever bond they're talking about."

She instinctively reared back at the idea. "No," Hermione croaked, pulling back just far enough to meet Steve's gaze. "No, I won't abandon him."

"Mia," Carol softly pleaded. "You're hurting yourself."

Mia's hands came up to cover her ears. As she grew warmer, her mind began to move quicker, and she was remembering everything now.

She killed them.

Oh Merlin, she killed them.

She killed them and now they wanted her to leave Bucky. To abandon him- to forsake him.

But Mia couldn't do that.

'_Cause I'm with you till the end of the line._

But no, that was Steve's vow, not hers.

_You are to be the new fist of HYDRA._

"I can't let go," Mia cried. "I can't let him be alone. He's not alone. _He's not alone._"

He was one of her people. She remembered now. Mia remembered seeing his face. He was one of hers, just like the twins she still hadn't found yet.

_You're not alone, Bucky. I promise- I'm trying to find you. I'm going to find you. Please, hold on._

"Who's not alone?" Steve asked. "Who is he? Who are you talking about?"

_James Buchanan Barnes. Bucky Barnes. The Winter Soldier. The Asset. The Fist of HYDRA._

"I'm so tired, Steve," Hermione whispered.

_Я жду приказаний_

_Ready to comply._

* * *

"_It's no use," one of the scientists told Doctor List, seeming nervous. "Anyone who touches the thing drops dead. And we tried to create a mechanical device to lift it, but it shorts out under less than a minute."_

_List scowled down at the scepter, resting innocently in its case. "We were told that this artifact was powerful, but we were never warned of this."_

"_Problems, sir?" asked Jasper Sitwell, moving to stand by the doctor's shoulder._

"_Yes, Sitwell, there is a problem. You see, Herr Pierce has requested an update on our work with Loki's scepter but, we can give him nothing. We have no information on it. Our machines cannot be used to study it because the energy the scepter gives destroys all electronics. Our scientists who try and handle it all fall dead at our feet. But we cannot tell Herr Pierce that, can we?"_

"_No, sir, I would not recommend doing that." Sitwell's expression remained neutral, though he too was feeling worried. While he may not be officially assigned to Strucker's lab, he did peripherally work on this particular project. If Secretary Pierce became annoyed enough with their lack of progress, no one would be safe from his anger._

_Sitwell suddenly remembered something he had overheard Fury discussing with Romanov. He had only heard a snippet before they noticed him but… "If I may, sir, I might have an idea."_

"_You?" List almost sneered. While he knew that Sitwell was an asset to HYDRA, the man was no scientist._

"_I heard Natasha Romanov speaking with Fury about how the stone contained within the scepter has a mind- a will- of its own. Perhaps it's not a matter of finding the right machine to wield the scepter- maybe you need to find the right person."_

_List froze, his mind racing over the possibilities. They knew the stone contained an unknown amount of power but the idea that it had a conscious? That they hadn't considered. "The right person," he mused. "Interesting. I must inform Herr Strucker."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N): Happy New Year guys! Thank you all for the well wishes you sent me for my birthday- I really appreciate it! I had a lot of cake. Too much cake. No regrets though.**

**I'm so sorry this is coming to you a bit late but I had trouble figuring out what opening and closing scenes to use for this chapter. I'm having a bit of trouble with them, not gonna lie.**

**Shoutouts to Adharablack85-2, alexaguamenti, Hermione24, Nessa Kane, Westcoast222, Sora Loves Rain, Alyxia, Ayeilin, Pterodactyl1993, Najada, Catzandbookz8, KnowInsight, Silas Serenity, and Guests for reviewing! I'm really glad you approve of what's happened so far! It's only going to get more complicated from here.**

**This chapter is both one I love and one I hate. I love it because a few of my favorite scenes are in here. I hate it though because it's a turning-point sort of chapter and I'm always worried I don't capture it the way I need to. I worry it doesn't have the weight it should so that you all understand just what is happening. I hope you do- I hope I've done my job right. Guess we'll see though, won't we?**

**This chapter is, once again, unbetaed so all errors are my own. Sadness.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_What the hell, man?" Rhodey hissed._

_Tony leaned back in his seat with a nonchalant look on his face. "What?"_

"_You know what!"_

_He did. He did know what. But that didn't mean that Tony wanted to talk about it. In fact, Tony had been actively avoiding this conversation for several months now. It helped that first Rhodes was busy being the Golden Boy for the military and then Tony was busy recovering from the aftermath of the Chitauri attack. Unfortunately, it seemed that Rhodey wanted to have this argument- and it was definitely going to be an argument- whether Tony wanted to or not._

"_I mean, it's a little late to be asking me how I'm doing after I fought off an army of aliens intent on destroying the planet over a month ago but better late than never, I guess."_

_Rhodey glared at him. "I am not playing this game with you, Tony. Who is this girl and why are you saying that she's your sister?"_

_Tony glanced down at the Vogue magazine on the table. "Well, Rhodey, that's my sister, Mia. Which, I kind of thought would have been obvious by the fact that it says 'Mia Stark' right there on the cover."_

"_You don't have a sister."_

"_Clearly I do, since it says right there on the cover-"_

"_I swear to god," Rhodey started, leaning forward, "if you do not tell me what is going on right now, I will punch you."_

_Also leaning forward, Tony told him, "Go ahead. Just know that, if you do punch me, I'll sue."_

"_Goddamn it, Tony." Falling back in his seat, Rhodey ran a hand over his face. "I just need you to tell me what the hell is going on. You expect me to believe that you've had a sister for all this time and just never bothered to tell me? You expect me to believe that you were able to keep her a secret for over 20 years when you couldn't even keep the fact that you were Iron Man quiet for more than five minutes?"_

"_How are those two things even connected?" Rhodey was his best friend- pretty much his only friend, really, unless the other Avengers could be counted, and Tony wasn't sure that they could be yet- but Tony wasn't going to tell him the truth. He trusted Rhodes with his life, but he didn't trust him with Mia's._

"_Do you know just how much crap I'm getting right now from the higher-ups?"_

_Tony rolled his eyes. "Do you know how much I don't care?"_

"_Why are you deflecting?" Rhodey asked. "Why won't you answer my questions?"_

"_I did answer your questions. Mia is my sister- she's a Stark. Whether or not you want to believe it doesn't matter. I'm sorry if you were hoping for some sort of scandalous reveal from me, but that's the truth."_

_Tony was going to protect Mia's identity as best he could- no matter the cost._

* * *

As Steve slowly drifted back into consciousness, he heard Tony and Hermione speaking softly.

"I made you a shirt with these self-heating fibers that Bruce and I created," Tony was telling his sister. "Bruce said it's important to keep your core warm since cold blood going into your heart could kill you- it's just a temporary fix though."

"Thank you, Tony," Hermione told him softly, voice sounding a little flat. "I appreciate you making something that will allow me to go to the bathroom by myself."

"You mean you and Gramps haven't gotten to that stage of your relationship yet?" Tony quipped. "Color me shocked."

"I'm surprised you can stomach making jokes about I, your younger sister, dating a man you've nicknamed 'Gramps'," she shot back.

Steve could see in his minds-eye the exact face Tony was probably making. "That's fair. But you're not going to be able to distract me from my point right now."

Hermione shifted slightly in Steve's arms. "And what point would that be?"

"What's going on between you two? You guys seemed all disgustingly mushy just last year then, after the invasion, Cap started avoiding you like you had the plague. Didn't stop him constantly making puppy-dog eyes at you whenever you were forced together- unfortunately. You stopped avoiding each other after the trip to Australia and he just about lost his mind over the last few days. So, what the fuck is going on?"

He could feel Hermione's fingers flex against the arm he had around her waist. "I don't want to talk about this," she warned her brother.

"Well, it's either we talk about this or we talk about the mystical bond that is slowly killing you. Make your choice."

"Fine," she snapped. "Nothing is going on with Steve and I. We… had a discussion after the Battle of New York that caused some awkwardness, but we have since worked things out."

There was a pause before Tony dryly asked, "You really think that's enough information to satisfy me? C'mon now, kid, you know me better than that. I already know all about your first conversation where you rejected Steve- which, by the way, almost made me feel bad for the guy and I didn't appreciate that. What'd you say to fix things?"

"… were you eavesdropping on our first conversation?" demanded Hermione, outraged.

"Of course!"

"Damnit, Tony," she grumbled. When Steve's arm automatically tightened around her, she froze for a moment before relaxing with a sigh. "I told him the truth- that I was keeping secrets from him and that I will be continuing to do so for the foreseeable future. You know how Steve is about honesty; if I were to have a relationship with him, I couldn't have as many secrets as I do now."

"Seriously?" Tony sounded confused. "I mean, I understand the concept but still. If you trust each other, what does it matter if you keep a few things secret? Everyone has secrets, Mia- some that are theirs and some that they're keeping for others. And we both know you're always going to have secrets so when is this mythical end-of-the-tunnel that you're going to reach and finally be able to be together going to happen?"

"I don't know, Tony," she finally admitted. "Right now, it feels like it's never going to happen."

Steve could hear Tony shifting closer to Hermione. "What'll you do if it doesn't?"

She was silent for a long moment. "I'll move on- I'll survive. It's what I always do."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Steve asked in concern. "You shouldn't push yourself right now- it's only been a day."

"Steve," Hermione chided tiredly, pulling her hair back into a loose bun. "I'm just going upstairs, not leaving the tower. I'm wearing the clothes Tony made for me and you're going to be right there if my temperature starts to fall again. It's going to be fine."

"But-"

"Steve." She reached out and took his hand. "It's going to be alright. I'm fine and I promise to tell you the moment I start to feel differently, alright?"

It wasn't, but Steve knew better by now than to argue.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, Steve led Hermione over to the elevator. "Clint's here," he stated abruptly, wanting to break the silence. "He got here a few hours ago. Natasha's here too, but I think she came on Fury's behalf. Now that you're awake, he's demanded answers."

Leaning her head against Steve's shoulder, Hermione peered up at him. "Did you all find a way to explain how I was captured?"

"I think Pepper took care of that- S.H.I.E.L.D. was told that you went with Tony in one of his suits and got caught."

"Fury knows better," Hermione snorted.

"He does," Steve agreed. "I caught him murmuring something about moronic spawns running off to play hero without a plan, so I think he has a pretty good idea about what happened."

Giving a small, oddly empty laugh, Hermione said, "I bet my parents took that well."

"They did not," was all he told her.

The elevator doors opened then and Hermione and Steve were greeted by the sight of a living room full of people. Carol and Loki were sitting with two women- one of whom Hermione recognized as Maria Rambeau from pictures her mother had shown her previously and the other she assumed was her daughter, Monica. Thor and several other Asgardians were sitting a short way away, watching Loki intently. Clint and Natasha were leaning on the kitchen island and seemed to be keeping a close eye on everyone.

Standing right in front of the elevator doors were Pepper and Tony. As soon as she saw them, Mia pulled away from Steve and stepped forward to hug Pepper tightly. Pepper always had a way of making Mia feel better even when she was at her worst and she needed a bit of that right then. The redhaired woman always seemed to have some sort of idea of what to do in any situation. When Mia felt like she was falling apart, Pepper seemed able to sense it and would appear with a drink and a reassuring word.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Pepper whispered. "We were really worried."

"I know," she whispered back. "I'm sorry."

Stepping back, Pepper looked Mia over with a critical eye. "There's soup in the kitchen. I am going to get you a bowl and you are going to eat it."

Forcing a small smile on her lips, Mia shook her head. "You're so bossy, Pepper."

"That's because she is the boss," Tony interjected, stepping forward to wrap his arm around Mia. "And woe to anyone who forgets that. She gets mean when she thinks you're undermining her authority," he mock-whispered to his sister.

"I know- I've seen her with you before," she told him, nodding over at Clint and Natasha, both of whom nodded in return but didn't move.

Leading her over to the couches, Tony waved his arm at the people sitting there. "People who do not know, this is Mia. Mia, these are people."

"What a thorough introduction," the younger woman quipped, standing up and holding out her hand. "Hey, I'm Monica."

"Lieutenant Trouble," Mia greeted, shaking her hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

Monica laughed. "It's Captain Trouble now, actually. Just got a promotion."

"Congratulations. Are you also a pilot, or did you join another branch of the military?" At Carol's urging, Mia and Monica sat back down. She could feel Maria's searching gaze locked onto her, but Mia did her best to ignore it, curling up against her mother.

"Air Force," Monica answered. "But I may be leaving to join S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Really?" Mia made sure her gaze conveyed nothing more than polite interest. "Why S.H.I.E.L.D., if you don't mind my asking?"

Shrugging, Monica said, "Mom worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. for several years and seemed to like it."

"Speaking of me, your amazing mother," Maria finally interjected. "I'm Maria. Forgive my daughter for her lack of manners."

Shyly tucking her hair behind her ear, Mia forced a smile at Maria. "Only if you forgive Tony for his."

"Mmm, now, that might be asking for too much."

Mia laughed as Tony grumbled in the background. "I'm guessing his first impression wasn't the best then? How long have you been here?"

"As soon as we heard," Maria told her. "We didn't know what exactly happened, but we knew Carol was on Earth and in New York, so we headed here."

"Lucky for us JARVIS knew who we were and let us in," Monica commented. "This place was locked down tight."

She knew that her mother considered Maria to be her sister in all the ways that counted, but Mia was glad to be able to see for herself just how strong their bond was. The more stories Carol had told her, the more Mia wished she could have grown up with someone like Maria for an aunt. "Thank you," she told them softly.

Maria grinned at her. "You don't need to thank family- that's what we're here for. I might not know you well yet, but I'm still your aunt. Plus, we couldn't pass up the chance of meeting Carol's mystery guy."

Carol snorted. "Yeah, right- don't believe a word they say. They just wanted to try and sneak a peek at Steve. Instead, they got a nice dose of sleep deprived Tony."

Taking a deep breath, Mia looked back over her shoulder and smiled at the man hovering a few feet behind her. "In that case, we should certainly try and rectify the situation." Holding out her hand, Mia waited for Steve to walk around the couch and slide his hand into hers as he sat down. "Steve, this is my cousin Monica and my Aunt Maria." She glanced at the women out of the corner of her eye, wondering if it was acceptable to introduce them that way, but both women seemed pleased.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Steve nodded in greeting, pushing away his discomfort with meeting new people in such an informal and emotionally charged setting.

Glancing at their linked hands, Monica seemed to be biting back a smirk. "Nice to meet you too."

"If we're through with the niceties," Loki broke in. "Perhaps we can actually discuss the larger matter at hand."

Pepper walked over with Mia's soup. "Here."

Mia took the soup with a soft word of thanks, purposefully not looking at her father. "I don't really think there's anything to discuss." Sipping at the rich broth, Mia shuddered at the feeling of warmth flowing through her. She only now realized how cold she actually was and burrowed in closer to her mother's side.

Unfortunately for her, Carol noticed. "You're getting cold again."

Staring down at her cup, all Mia could say was, "I'm fine."

"I have alerted Dr. Banner- he's on his way now," JARVIS announced.

Reaching out a hand, Steve felt the skin on the back of Hermione's neck and swore. "You promised you'd say something if you were feeling cold again!"

"I'm not feeling cold," Mia shot back. "Or, at least, I wasn't."

"That's not a good sign," Tony said, having read up as much as he could find on hypothermia the night before.

"I know what you all are going to say, and you should just give up now," the brunette snapped, setting her soup down on the table in front of her with a thud. "I won't do it."

"Mia," Pepper pleaded, pushing the cup aside so she could sit in front of the younger woman. She had hoped they could wait to have this conversation, but it seemed that it would have to be now. "Please be reasonable. Whatever magic you're using right now is hurting you."

"The bond has already been formed. It'll hurt me more to break it."

And it truly would hurt her to break it. Not only because it would be another betrayal to Bucky- which made her physically nauseous to even consider after everything she had seen- but because the bond was actually helping her right then. If Bucky were awake, the bond would allow them to feel each other's emotions. But, since he was asleep, there was only numbness coming from him. That numbness was what Mia had wrapped her emotions in- was what was keeping back all the horrible feelings that were writhing inside her right then. Without that, she would have to feel everything she didn't want to, and Mia didn't think she could survive that.

Loki and Carol knew what she was doing though, could feel what was happening within their daughter due to the bond between them. "You can't stay numb forever," Loki warned her softly, eyes filled with a compassion that surprised the near-forgotten Asgardians watching him. "You are a shell of a being pretending to be whole."

Carol took her daughter's hand. "You can't hide from us. You can try, but eventually even you won't be able to pull off playing normal. You have to let yourself feel."

"Feel what?" Mia lashed out, pulling herself to her feet and stepping away from everyone. "Feel the consequences of what I've done? The guilt, the rage, the self-loathing? Feel even worse about myself for abandoning someone else after I've severed the bond tying us together? On top of everything else, you want me to hate myself for leaving him alone, forsaken and forgotten? Sorry, but I don't think any of those are actually worth feeling."

"And what happens after he wakes up?" Carol challenged. "After this person is… unfrozen, you'll have to deal with his emotions on top of yours. And based on just the fact that you've formed a bond with someone who is literally _frozen _right now, I doubt his mental state is going to be any better alone."

"But at least he won't have to deal with them alone. I won't make him go through something like that alone just so I can spare myself the pain."

"Wait." Everyone turned to look over at Clint, who had moved away from Natasha and was standing a few feet behind Mia. "You've somehow bonded yourself to a man who's… what? Currently frozen? Like cryogenics?"

"Yes," Mia answered, shoulders hunched in preparation for his judgement.

To her surprise, all Clint asked was, "Is he a good person? Whoever it is you're bonded to?"

_Is he a good person? _Well, that was quite the complex question, wasn't it? "Are any of us?" she questioned in place of an answer. "Can any of us truly claim to be a good person? After everything we've seen and done, can a single one of us truly claim to be good?"

Clint sighed. "If he is not a trash person, do you really think he'd want you to hurt yourself this way for him? Because, if it were me, I wouldn't. I wouldn't want to have to deal with knowing I hurt someone who only wanted to help me on top of whatever mess is waiting for me when I wake up."

"You can't use somebody else to hide from your emotions," stated Steve. "It's not fair to them and it's not good for you."

Turning to face her family, Mia asked, "What if I break this bond and you don't like who I am afterwards? What if _I _don't like who I am after this?"

Pepper reached out and took her hand. "You know, I think we had this conversation once before- you don't have to be who you were, Mia. If you don't like who you've become, change into someone you do. No matter what, we'll love you either way."

Carol glanced at Pepper in admiration. "Damn." Looking back at her daughter, she shrugged. "She's right, and I'm pretty sure she said it better than I could have."

Mia started to shudder violently again as the cold spread further through her. Maybe they were right, maybe this wasn't sustainable, but how could she live with herself if she did this? How would she ever be able to face Bucky if she did this?

_You are going to stay here and find your people._ That's what her mother had instructed her to do before she left after the Battle of New York._ You find them, protect them until you can show them how to protect themselves, and stop anyone who gets in your way._

But how could she protect them when she couldn't even protect herself?

_You're going to save him. You will slay the HYDRA trapping him- you will murder any who get in your way._

_And then afterwards, you're going to have to live with the fact that you have murdered more people than you can count for a man whose hands are soaked are also soaked in the blood of the innocents._

The link between her and Bucky broke with a snap.

_I'm sorry, Bucky._

* * *

When Mia woke up, she was alone for the first time in days. After she had severed the bond with Bucky, she'd fallen into a catatonic state. When she'd come back to herself several hours later, she'd been in so much pain that she couldn't move. She knew her mother and father were next to her on the bed, could hear them speaking to her, but Mia couldn't find enough of her voice to respond.

It _hurt_. Gods, everything hurt.

She'd taken so many lives. She'd abandoned Bucky. She'd hurt her parents. She'd scared Tony, Pepper, Steve, and Bruce.

Everything she touched- either as Hermione or Mia- it felt like she ruined.

How could any of them even stand to look at her anymore? How could they stand to be near her? She was a monster- a murderer.

Her thoughts had stayed within that spiral for days and she did nothing more than stare blankly at the wall in front of her. No matter how hard her family tried, none of them could get through to her. Even her parents weren't able to penetrate through the misery coating her mind. The pain was so great that Mia sometimes felt like she was dying.

She wished she would.

Anything would be better than this. Mia had thought that she had reached the lowest point she could back during the war, but she was absolutely wrong.

_You will be my champion._

Gods, even if she did die, Death would probably just send her right back. Even Dabria knew what an efficient killer she was.

She had killed them. How could she _do _that? They were innocent and she had sacrificed them to save herself.

She was no better than Dumbledore- allowing others to die in order to achieve her own goals. Sacrificing lives like chess pieces.

_You try to fight the inevitable because you fear that, if you don't, you will turn into someone you hate._

There was no more cold anymore, no more numbness. Bucky was all alone. Mia had abandoned him- had forsaken him. There would be no forgiveness from him for what she'd done and that was only fitting because she didn't deserve it.

Forgiveness was a gift that she would never be able to earn.

She had no idea where her mom was right then, but she could her hear the smooth cadences of her father's voice and the low rumble of Thor's baritone coming from another room. It wasn't loud enough for her to hear what they were actually saying, but Mia instinctively knew that they were arguing about their upcoming return to Asgard.

As if on autopilot, Mia slid out of bed and snuck out of the apartment. Opting to take the stairs instead of the elevator, she climbed up to Tony and Pepper's floor. Stepping out into their entryway, Mia walked through the hallway leading to their bedroom but froze right outside her door. A wave of emotions kept her from knocking on their door.

How pathetic was she that she couldn't even spend a night by herself?

Why would Tony and Pepper even want to see her after what she had done?

The door opened suddenly and Mia flinched back slightly. Pepper had opened the door from the inside- somehow knowing that Mia was standing on the other side. "JARVIS told us you were here. Are you okay?"

Mia's hands clenched into fists at her sides. _No. Not okay. Not alright. _

Pepper's eyes softened with understanding and she slowly reached out to take Mia's hand. Gently tugging her into the bedroom, Pepper led her over to the bed and pushed her to climb in next to her brother. Tony- who was sitting up against the headboard and watching them with solemn eyes- wrapped an arm around Mia. "Hey, kid."

She didn't say anything, just burrowed her face into his chest next to his arc reactor and tried to slow her heartrate.

The bed sank down slightly as Pepper climbed in beside her and then shifted again as she covered them with the soft comforter, but the room remained silent for several long minutes.

The self-loathing Mia had been feeling before was still gripping her tight. She was an adult- a survivor of the Second Wizarding War in Britain and the Battle of New York. Yet there she was, forcing Pepper and Tony into what was surely an awkward position for them in order for her to feel safe.

Why did she deserve to feel safe when all those other lives never would?

"This would probably be less awkward if we had actually grown up together," Tony said abruptly, as if he knew what she was thinking.

"I think about it sometimes," he continued when she didn't respond. "What it would have been like if we had grown up together- if your birth certificate hadn't only been created a year ago. My parents still would have been dead not long after you were born so it would have been me responsible for taking care of you.

"Part of me thinks that I would have been terrible to you- would have left you alone with nannies and other professionals so that I could continue partying and wasting my life away. But another part of me thinks that taking care of you would have been the thing that kept me from spiraling. I would have made so many mistakes at first because I have no idea how to raise a child, but I would have done my best and we would have been okay. I would have spent nights reading you stories and watching Disney movies with you after eating far more dessert that either of should have had. Days would have been spent in the lab teaching you about things that should have been too advanced for you but weren't because you're so fucking smart. You'd have come running into my room after you had a bad dream and I'd have let you sleep here because I wouldn't be able to say no to you- something that you'd be sure to take advantage of as much as possible in the future. Not to do anything bad but so that you could stay up just a little bit longer to finish reading your book or just to sleep in my bed one last time." Tears were streaming down Mia's face as her brother described a life that they didn't get to have.

"I would have ended up homeschooling you because you would have been too smart for any actual school and I would have been too worried about you being bullied the way I was. Once I hired Pepper though, she would have made us sign up for different activities so that you could still socialize with kids your own age- martial arts classes, sports teams, library book clubs, or whatever caught your attention really. You would've idolized Pepper and constantly followed her around and I would have been so jealous at first but then you'd show up in the lab to sit with me or drag me out to do something and I'd know that you'd never forget about me no matter how much you loved Pepper."

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Mia whispered, "She would have been so angry with us whenever we snuck out without her knowing. You would have had all these meetings and obligations you needed to attend to, but you would take me out instead and pretend that you had forgotten all about it. I would have scolded you for not taking things seriously enough but I would never have told you no when you wanted to run."

Tony's arm tightened around her. "You would have hated Obadiah from the beginning and I would have spent less time with him because of that. And then, when I went missing and control of the company went to you, you would have signed it over to Pepper immediately and run off on the first plane you could find to come and get me."

Giving a small laugh through her tears, she responded, "I would have bullied you into giving Pepper more power far earlier than that; I would have seen that she was far more capable than the two of us combined and put her in charge."

"I would have been so angry if you had run off," Pepper chimed in quietly, reaching out to place a hand on Mia's arm and squeezing gently. "I would have been calling every military contact we knew and demanding they find you. They wouldn't be able to though- you'd have kept yourself so well hidden that no one could find you until you wanted to be found."

"And then, when I was found and heard what you had done," Tony continued. "I would have been terrified. I would have been desperate to find a way to protect you. When I became Iron Man, it wouldn't have just been a way of keeping myself safe, but also as a way to ensure that I would always be able to protect you.

"Maybe it would have worked. Maybe you would have stayed out of the entire Battle of New York and I would have been the one to send that nuke through the portal while you were safe and sound with Pepper. The Kree wouldn't have come here, you wouldn't have been captured, and everything would have been okay. Or maybe everything would still be the same. Everything still would have happened, and I still wouldn't have been able to save you."

Mia didn't know how she was supposed to comfort Tony when she couldn't even help herself. But, for the first time, she admitted out loud to them what she had done. "I killed them."

Tony hugged her tightly. "I know."

"They were innocent and I killed them."

Pepper shifted over closer to them and also hugged Mia. "It's going to be okay."

"I don't know what to do now," Mia admitted. "I don't know how to live now with what I've done."

"One day at a time," her brother told her. "We take things one day at a time- together."

* * *

"_It seems that, once again, Ronan has failed," Thanos rumbled._

_Gamora remained quiet, allowing none of the relief she was feeling to show on her face._

"_What now, Father?" Nebula asked, as eager to please as ever. "Shall I bring him to you?"_

_Thanos didn't even bother to glance at her. "Since Ronan has made progress with finding the location of the Power Stone, we shall allow him to live for a while longer."_

"_Are you sure it's wise to entrust him with such a task?" Gamora asked. When Thanos turned to look at her, she elaborated, "He has failed you before. If he were to fail you again, or if he were to find the stone and decide to keep it for himself, that could prove disastrous for you."_

"_And just what are you proposing, daughter?"_

_Ignoring the burning glare that Nebula was sending her way, she carefully suggested, "Allow me to retrieve it for you. You know that I am far more capable of finding and bringing you the stone than Ronan is. If you were to task me with this mission, you know that I would not fail you."_

_Thanos studied her intently, and Gamora forced herself to lock away all her hatred and anger towards Thanos so that he would not be able to see even a hint of it in her gaze._

"_Please, Father, allow me to go!" Nebula hastily interjected. "I could bring you the stone much-"_

"_No," Thanos told Nebula sharply and the other woman instantly backed down. Turning his attention back towards Gamora, he questioned, "You believe that you could find it faster than Ronan can?"_

_If they hadn't just received word that the Captain had escaped Ronan's trap, then Gamora was sure Thanos would not have even considered allowing her, his favorite daughter, to go and search for the Power Stone. But, the Kree's failure paved the way for her opportunity. "Yes."_

"_Then go- bring me the stone. Do not fail me."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on the way out!**


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N): Hey guys! Welcome to the year 2020! Exciting times, right? I spent my holidays marathoning the DC Universe show _Titans _and now I'm fighting against the urge to write a new fanfiction because I DON'T HAVE THE TIME!**

**Shoutouts to Westcoast222, aiyaiy13, Alyxia, Hayley, Rachelie, Sora Loves Rain, alexaguamenti, Najada, Adharablack85-2, and Catzandbookz8 for reviewing! Special thanks to Alyxia for the suggestion about seeing what's happening in the Wizarding World. Not gonna lie, I am struggling a bit with figuring out what to do for the opening and ending scenes for each chapter should be.**

**This chapter is probably riddled with errors and for that I'm sorry. So so sorry.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_This was the most ridiculous meeting he had ever attended, and he was both a Hogwart's professor and a member of the Wizengamot. But it was also the __best__ meeting Neville had ever been to in his life. And, from the way Fred and George were almost bent double in silent laughter beside him, Neville wasn't the only one who felt that way._

_He wasn't really sure what Harry was hoping to accomplish by bringing most of the former members of Dumbledore's Army together, but he was almost positive that their so-called leader was going to be disappointed._

"_I know this is a lot to take in," Harry was saying with a placating tone in his voice that set Neville on edge. "But Hermione really is alive."_

"_Why are you telling us this?" Fred finally shouted, straightening up. "Of course she's alive!"_

"_Yeah," George joined in. "None of us thought she was dead. It's Hermione Granger! Her backup plans have seven other backup plans of their own! It was obvious- no body, no proof, no chance!"_

"_We thought you knew and just weren't saying anything," Susan Bones added, narrowing her eyes at the honest shock on Harry's face. "Are you really telling us you had no idea she was in hiding?"_

_Angelina Weasley née Johnson slouched over towards the others and muttered, "Can you blame her? If I were Hermione, I would also have run from Harry and Ron first chance I got and never looked back."_

_Alicia Spinnet snorted. "I doubt it was Harry she was actually running from. She managed to put up with him for all those months- it wasn't until after Ron found them again that she made her escape."_

_Fred nodded. "Yeah, I could see Hermione faking her own death in order to escape from Ron if she didn't think she'd be able to kill him and get away with it. Wish I could do that."_

"_Hear, hear," George agreed._

_Neville watched as Harry went from calm, to confused, to shocked, and then to angry. "Don't blame us for your ignorance," he warned Harry, and the sound of his voice caused all other conversations in the room to die off. "It's not our fault you weren't smart enough to realize that Hermione wasn't dead. After all, it was rather obvious. If Bellatrix had killed her, everyone in the entire Wizarding World would have known about it and pictures of Hermione's mangled form would have been posted everywhere; Bellatrix would never have destroyed Hermione's body because she would have enjoyed knowing that the sight of her mangled corpse would have haunted you and the rest of us to the day we died- that's the kind of person Bellatrix was."_

_When Harry just soundlessly spluttered, George asked, "If you thought Hermione was dead all this time, then how did you figure out she wasn't? Because I would have loved to have heard that conversation."_

* * *

Carol watched her daughter closely as Mia trailed after Tony and Pepper from the elevator before moving away from them and going to sit next to Bruce on the couch. Seemingly without thought, Bruce lifted up his arm and wrapped it around Mia's shoulders, gently pulling her into his side as he continued to read from the tablet in his other hand. If anyone could truly understand what Mia was feeling right then, it was the curly-haired scientist.

Loki shifted restlessly next to her, and Carol knew he was holding himself back from walking over and sitting down next to Mia. It was hard for both of them, watching their daughter suffer and knowing that this wasn't something they could help her with. At least she wasn't shutting them out again; they could feel her consistently- obsessively- brushing against their minds to make sure they were still there.

Her fear broke Carol's heart and she wished that Yon-Ragg hadn't died so quickly- that they had made him suffer the way he was making their child suffer. He had torn away a part of her baby girl that was never going to come back.

What had happened while she was unconscious? What had she seen? And what was blocking them from those memories in her mind?

She watched as tears seemed to randomly swim into Mia's eyes and then slowly fall down her cheeks. The pale bags under eyes, her pallid coloring, and the greasy hair collected into a low bun by her neck made Mia appear the very definition of defeated. Out of the corner of her eye, Carol could see Pepper also staring at Mia and she looked like her heart was breaking almost as much as Carol's.

Bruce didn't look down at Mia, just started rubbing his hand up and down her arm in a silent show of support.

Thor and his companions walked into the room, pausing at the sight of Mia. Hesitating for a moment, Thor finally moved to sit beside Loki. "The business with S.H.I.E.L.D. has been handled."

When Loki didn't respond, Carol asked, "Where's Steve?"

"The good Captain stayed behind to speak with Fury. He wanted to be sure that he would not be sent on any missions for the next few weeks."

Tony snorted, downing a glass of what Carol was pretty sure was whiskey. "Bet Fury fucking loved that."

"He did not," Sif answered. She was also staring at Mia but, instead of the cautious and suspicious look she'd previously had when look at Loki's daughter, she seemed almost sympathetic. "How is she?"

Carol struggled to answer for a moment before finally settling with, "Not well."

She hadn't eaten in too long and Carol was starting to panic. But they couldn't force her to eat and Loki was sure that she wasn't in any true danger yet. Carol hoped that someone else could convince her to eat- maybe Pepper or Steve.

Monica shuffled into the room then, struggling to cover up a yawn as she made a beeline for the coffee pot. Carol watched as her niece poured herself a mug and downed it before finally seeming able to sense the tension in the room. Lowering her cup, Monica's eyes scanned everyone before finally resting on Mia. Brows furrowing in consideration, Monica seemed to be debating with herself about something before she set her mug down and went over to the fridge.

Watching her with growing curiosity, Carol wondered what Monica was up to. The younger girl stepped away from the fridge with a bottle of juice clutched in her hand and, after pouring herself another cup of coffee, she strode over to Mia and held out the bottle. "Here," she ordered, shaking the juice for emphasis as she waited for Mia to take it from her.

It took a moment for Mia to look up at her, seeming only vaguely confused but taking the bottle all the same.

Without any hesitation, Monica reached over to move Bruce's arm and grabbed Mia's free hand, tugging her to her feet. "C'mon, girl. Let's get you cleaned up- you'll feel better afterwards. Promise."

To Carol's surprise, her daughter just gave Monica a long look before slowly nodding in agreement and allowing the herself to be tugged along. Monica seemed to notice Carol moving to follow them and waved her hand at her aunt. "Nope, you sit. Me and Mom have got this."

With that, both girls disappeared into the elevator.

"Did she sleep at all last night?" Carol asked Tony. JARVIS had immediately informed them when Mia had left to go to Tony and Pepper's floor and she'd hoped the maybe her daughter would be able to find enough peace with them to rest.

"Some," Pepper sighed, wearily slumping down into a chair. "But not nearly enough."

Tony let out an audible groan as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the counter. "She kept having nightmares and then afterwards she'd list out everything she could have done different and _then _the pros and cons of that. She finally came to the conclusion that the best thing she could have done was use magic to wipe Yon-Rag's mind, sneak out of the room and into the room with the hostages, apparate all of them off the ship, then return and blow it up. Didn't exactly have the heart to remind her that a) she was probably too drugged to safely apparate herself anywhere let alone with passengers and b) that they probably would have killed the remaining hostages after they caught her helping the first few escape."

"She also wouldn't have been able to apparate that many times without exhausting herself," Loki muttered.

"Yes, please tell her that," Tony snarked, glaring. "That'll make her feel loads better."

Bruce set his tablet aside and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark here and say that our medicine isn't going to have much of an effect on her- which means sleep aids are out of the question."

Surprisingly enough, Thor perked up at that. "Perhaps not your medicine, but what about something from her world? I was looking through her books and saw something about a potion called 'Dreamless Sleep'. Would that work for her?"

Loki turned to look over at his brother for the first time that day. He was still enraged at Thor for their conversation the day before. "You read a book? How… novel."

"Very witty," Bruce told him, rolling his eyes. "He has a point though- would anything from the magical world work on her?"

"Perhaps," the Trickster hedged. "However, Dreamless Sleep is highly addictive and can only be used occasionally. If we did find a variation that worked on her, it's very likely Mia would find herself dependent on it."

"He's right," Pepper whispered. "You know what she's like. Mia's the most pragmatic person I've ever met, but she would keep taking something like that even with the risks if she could talk herself into believing that she could handle it."

"Well we have to do something," Bruce told them. "She's going to become increasingly unstable with the less sleep she gets, especially since she's not eating enough. If we can't actually give her something, then we'll just have to try as many natural remedies that we can. No coffee, limited amounts of junk food, and absolutely no alcohol."

Seemingly thankful for something to do, Tony added, "I'll make sure only healthy foods are on the menu for the time being and that we have enough snacks easily accessible. We'll also all just have to make sure that we keep her up and moving as much as possible."

Carol glanced over at Loki. "We'll have to make sure she doesn't bottle up her magic. Giving her some sort of project will help keep her mind off of things so maybe you could work with her on those protective runes she was asking about?"

Loki drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch. "We'll need certain supplies- some of which can be found here but it would be easier to work with Asgardian metal as it has properties within it that aren't found on Earth."

Shifting to look at Thor, Carol asked, "If he gave you a list, would you be allowed to get what he needs?"

"What does he need it for?" Volstagg interrupted, giving Loki a suspicious look.

"For magic," Loki sneered, going tense. "Mia would like to increase the potency on the wards she's placed around the tower and the Soldier's residence and the strongest wards are tied to stones or metal."

Thor's lips quirked up. "Tell me, Brother, does it cause you grief to know how much your daughter cares for one of the most righteous men we have ever met?"

He was left disappointed when Loki did nothing more than smirk at him. "Oh, fear not, Brother. While my daughter may care for the man, she has made no claim on him nor allowed him to make any on her. I have faith that her attention will soon turn to someone more… interesting."

"You have faith?" Clint snorted, having made his way into the room without anyone noticing and swung himself over the back of the couch to sit next to Bruce. "I would've thought you'd think faith was for suckers."

The Asgardian warriors had all jumped to their feet in alarm at Clint's appearance, but the others were used to Clint's unexpected arrivals.

"Where's the spider?" Tony asked.

"No idea," Clint shrugged. "Haven't seen her since last night. I was asleep until a bit ago and I went to check on the kid before coming up here. She's fine, by the way- Monica and Maria got her cleaned up and then were telling her stories about you," he nodded at Carol, "until she fell asleep. If I didn't know better, I'd say there was some sort of magic at play there. Or drugs."

Carol rolled her eyes but seemed mostly unconcerned. "That doesn't surprise me."

"Why are your friends so weird?" Tony groaned.

"Yeah, cause we're the definition of normal," Bruce snarked.

* * *

When Mia finally came back upstairs, it was with a highly worried Steve at her side. Thor had returned to Asgard to collect the material Loki had requested, leaving behind his warriors to guard Loki. However, they had annoyed Tony- who had in turn annoyed the others- so much that Bruce had threatened bodily harm unless they left. The threat of the Hulk had been enough to convince them to spend a few hours in the gym. Carol had followed after them while Loki had disappeared with Tony and Bruce to discuss something.

That left Clint alone in the living room, idly wasting time until someone showed up to grab his attention. He could see the strain in Mia's eyes in response to Steve's concern and knew she couldn't handle much more time with the Captain.

Hoping to help ease some of her stress, the archer hopped to his feet and strode over to the duo. "Alright, kid, let's do this."

Blinking up at him as he threw an arm around her shoulders, Mia asked, "Do what?"

"We are going to the archery range. You have been horribly remiss in your practice," Clint mockingly scolded her as he subtly pulled her away from Steve and placed himself between the two. "Really, you're making me look bad and that's just unacceptable."

The smallest of smiles reluctantly played along her lips. "Really, I've made you look bad? How terrible of me. Deplorable, really."

"I'm glad to hear you understand just how serious this is. We'll have to go and train immediately." When Steve made to follow them, Clint casually told him, "By the way, Steve, Carol was looking for you. She was hoping to spar with you for a bit- see how an Army captain stands against an Air Force one."

Steve hesitated. He wasn't sure he was comfortable with leaving Hermione alone, but he really would like the chance to see how he managed against someone as powerful as Carol Danvers- and get the chance to speak with her without an audience. Deciding to leave the decision up to Hermione, he caught her eye and simply raised an eyebrow in question.

"I'll be fine, Steve," she told him. "We all know I can take Clint in a fight."

"Rude," Clint retorted without any real heat. "True, but rude."

"If you're sure." Quietly watching as Hermione and Clint made their way to the elevator and disappeared from view, Steve hoped that she would be able to find even a small amount of peace in Clint's presence. He had so many questions about everything that had happened but knew he would never ask. Hermione was wielding her silence like a shield and he wouldn't be the one to try and take it from her.

"Thank you," Mia whispered to Clint as soon as the elevator doors closed.

He shrugged, dropping his arm from her shoulders. "Don't worry about it. You can't hide it from him forever though."

"I know," she sighed, having had a variation of this conversation with Clint on far too many occasions. "But I just… I can't talk to him right now."

Clint was silent the rest of the way down. It wasn't until they were standing in the empty range that he spoke again. "JARVIS, engage full privacy settings and turn off all cameras."

"Are you sure that is wise, Agent Barton?" the AI asked. "With everything that has occurred, it would probably be best to keep monitoring on at all time."

"Only Stark would create an AI that argues with people," he grumbled. "Yes, JARVIS, I'm sure. Stark will just have to rein in his control-freak needs for the next ten minutes."

"If you say so," JARVIS seemed to sigh before going silent.

Turning to make eye contact with Mia, Clint told her, "Natasha suspects something. There's only so much I can do to keep her off our trail."

Mia scowled. "For the last time, Clint, we are not telling Natasha anything!"

"But she could help us!"

She was growing tired of having this argument- or perhaps she was just tired in general. "I've said it once and I'll say it again: no. We would be taking too much of a risk by telling Natasha. You know her better than I do so stop pretending to be ignorant. There are only two options here about what's going on: either Natasha already knows about HYDRA- which means that Fury also knows- and has elected not to inform you or she doesn't know and the moment we tell her anything she will go running off to Fury. If it's the first, then there's clearly already a plan in place- as terrible as it probably is- and you know she'll tell you to stay out of it because if she wanted your help she would have already asked. If it's the second, then we will be forced to change our plans to accommodate Fury and I refuse to do that."

"We could convince her to leave Fury out of this," Clint argued for the thousandth time.

"No, we couldn't." Mia took a deep breath through her nose, trying to calm herself. "Clint, you can't keep lying to yourself. As capable and intelligent as Natasha was trained to be, the one thing not taught to her was how to think for herself. Yes, she chose to defect from the KGB and I admire the amount of strength it must have taken to make such a choice, but look at what she's done since then. Whatever Fury tells her to do, she follows without question. She takes her orders and completes her missions without any deviation from her orders- the only time she's shown any sort of creativity is when she's partnered with you and that's only because she has to change her plans in order to watch your back.

"She's too reliant on Fury. Natasha was trained by the KGB to place her absolute faith in her handler and all that changed about that after she joined S.H.I.E.L.D. was who she saw as her handler. I know you don't like keeping secrets from her, Clint, but nothing good will come from you telling her what we are doing. Besides, what if she really did already know about HYDRA? Are you really ready to face the possibility that Natasha left you vulnerable all this time?"

Clint's fingers curled into clenched fists at his side. "What about me? How am I supposed to be okay with leaving her vulnerable?"

"By reminding yourself that she's kept secrets from you before so if anyone should be understanding of what you're doing, it's her."

"Yeah, well, two wrongs don't make a right."

"Do you really think I like this any more than you do?" Mia hissed. "You think I enjoy lying to everyone we know? That I take pleasure leaving Steve in the dark about just who his colleagues actually are? Do you honestly believe I'm not terrified about what could possibly happen?"

Before he could stop himself, Clint let a truth he had been holding back for months slip out. "I think you enjoy being the one in control- that you're having fun pulling everyone's strings and manipulating them into doing what you want. You're getting off on finally being the one in charge for once and when even a hint of doubt creeps inside your head, you reassure yourself that you're doing this for their own good."

Mia reared back. So, that was Clint's opinion of her? He thought she was no better than Dumbledore? He thought she enjoyed the lies and pretending to be someone she wasn't in order to get closer to the heart of HYDRA?

Could she really blame him though? After what she'd done, could she really fault him for thinking she was a monster?

Dabria said that she needed to start thinking more about the future. That she needed to do things with the greater good in mind. She apparently thought that Mia would make for a good next-level Dumbledore.

"I won't stop you from telling her if that's what you want," she told him softly, eyes hard. "But if you do, then I won't be able to work with you anymore. If it's really necessary, I can do this on my own. But I will not risk everything we're fighting for so that you can pander to your guilt at hiding things from a woman who never hesitates to hide things from you."

It was that moment that made Clint realize that this was a terrible time to be having this conversation. Mia was still recovering from being kidnapped by aliens, killing innocent hostages, being in a coma for several days, and then creating and breaking a magical bond. She needed to recover and here he was, pressuring her to make a decision about something when she could barely bring herself to make the decision to get out of bed.

Unfortunately, he realized that a little too late because Mia was already spinning on her heel and taking off. Swearing, Clint took off after but when he got to the door, found that it was locked.

"Apologies, Agent Barton," JARVIS told him, having been reengaged upon Mia's exit. "Miss Stark has requested that you be kept here for the next few minutes." If the AI hadn't turned against him before, it was clear he was now. Not that Clint could blame him.

* * *

"You know," Carol started slowly, walking around the small patio table to sit down next to Loki. "Thor does have a point."

Loki glanced over at her, lazily swirling the glass of wine in his hand. "Really? Do tell."

Reaching out and grabbing the empty glass sitting next to the wine bottle, Carol poured herself a drink. "Mia really does seem to care about Steve. We may need to resign ourselves to the fact that they seem to be headed for a serious relationship."

"Do we now?" he chuckled. "I must disagree with you on that. After all, our daughter is keeping quite the secret from him and I highly doubt he'll react well when the curtain rises on that. Not to mention the fact the Time Stone seems to have ensured that our daughter will be bonded with several other individuals. Do you really think the Captain is going to be comfortable with the implications of that?"

Sipping at her wine, she frowned. "You said to Thor that you had faith that Mia's attention would turn to someone more interesting. Did you mean…" Carol raised her eyebrows at him, aware that there was always a chance someone was eavesdropping on them. Mia didn't know this, but Carol had actually recognized one of the people from her visions. That man had longer hair than the pictures she had seen of him when she was younger, but those eyes and that jaw line was clearly recognizable. When she had shared her ideas with Loki, he had come to the same conclusion as her. Neither had told Mia though because they thought it would be best for her to find out on her own. The Time Stone had guaranteed that she would find him at some point, there was no reason for them to send her into a panic trying to speed things along.

He smirked. "Of course. If I know the soldier at all- and I'm rather confident that I do- then he won't be able to bring himself to stand in the way of those two when the time comes."

"Really, you think so? Well, I must disagree with you on that," Carol mocked. "There's no way that man would ever let himself have feelings for Mia or get in the way of her and Steve if he had even an inkling that Steve cared for her- it's called friendship." And those two were famous for theirs.

"Oh, I know."

Her jaw dropped. "Oh my god. Are you seriously telling me that you're hoping both men end up falling for our daughter because you know that, in the end, both with refuse to be in a relationship with her out of their loyalty to the other?"

Loki took a drink of wine. "A plan so simple yet will be executed so effectively." Glancing over at Carol's still slightly shocked expression, he scoffed. "Oh, come now, Carol- surely you aren't truly surprised at this."

"You are a _horrible_ person. And yet, so fucking brilliant at the same time. It's glorious." Even if they tried to have Mia chose between the two of them, whichever one she chose would end up feeling too guilty to actually be with her- which meant that she wouldn't be with either of them. It was literally the perfect plan.

It was Loki's turn to be surprised. "You also don't want Mia to end up with him?"

"Of course not! She is far too young to be in serious relationship and I'm pretty sure serious is the only level Steve operates on. Not to mention the fact that he seems to be constantly getting involved in shit that really isn't his responsibility to deal with. Our daughter has the ability to find an usually large amount of trouble wherever she goes on her own- why would I support her dating someone who has the same issue? Mia doesn't need to be with someone who will routinely involve her in dangerous situations- she needs to be dating someone who's good at getting her out of her own. Besides, he's Army and she is Air Force."

"I have no idea why that matters but I honestly did not expect this reaction from you," Loki confessed, an honest smile pulling at his lips. "I must say, I like it."

"And I like the fact that this plan doesn't actually involve any meddling so we can be blamed for nothing." She leaned over and gently clinked her glass against his.

"Oh, but it's not as though our daughter would have a leg to stand on even if we did meddle. After all, it was not that long ago that she told us that she would prefer it if we both remained alone for the rest of our lives because she had no interest in meeting any being who could handle being in a serious relationship with either of us."

Carol choked on her wine. "I forgot about that!" she finally laughed once she'd regained her breath. "She was so terrified of having to deal with a step-parent. I never did figure out how that became a concern for her. Or how she got her hands on that Asgardian mead."

Staring out over the city, Carol felt her smile slowly slip away. "What are we going to do if she does end up falling for Steve though? Or some other human?"

"I don't know," Loki admitted. "Right now though, I think we should just concern ourselves with making sure that she recovers from this. The events of the last few days were a hard lesson that every warrior must learn, but it might just end up breaking her if we're not careful."

"Well, it's Mia so you know that she's going to do her best to find some sort of project she can bury herself in to distract herself from her pain. We'll just have to work to make sure that she actually works through her emotions rather than keep them bottled up."

The door slid open and Clint stepped out to join them. "So, I fucked up," he admitted without preamble.

Carol met his sheepish gaze with a blank eyes. "We're aware, Barton. We could feel the uptick in distress suddenly coming from Mia. We were just waiting here for you to show up and confess whatever stupid-ass thing you've done."

Clint nodded his head. "Yeah, that's fair. I, uh, might have started a fight with her about telling Natasha what's been going on."

"Again?" Loki asked. "How many times will it be necessary for us to have this discussion before you realize that telling your lover what is happening is more of a risk than it's worth?"

Making sure to stay a healthy distance away from the couple, Clint admitted, "I wish I could tell you that this is the last time, but we all know that I'm not that smart."

"Quit beating around the bush," Carol interrupted. "We know that's not enough to have caused our kid to be that upset. What else did you say?"

He finally decided that the bandage approach would be the best way to go. "I might have definitely compared her to Dumbledore."

The ice-cold look Loki gave him was a wonderful contrast to the fiery rage in Carol's eyes. "I should have just killed you and been done with it," Loki snarled.

"I second that."

"Yeah, well, you didn't so now we're just going to have to deal with the consequences of your poor choices."

* * *

Mia laid on her bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

She could still hear Bucky's screams. Right now, it felt like those screams were the only real things.

No matter how many times she reminded herself that breaking the link with Bucky didn't mean she was abandoning him, Mia couldn't help feeling that she had already failed him.

Dabria had wanted her to walk a mile in Bucky's shoes, to know just what he had gone through, but Mia wondered if this was really what she wanted. Did she really want a broken champion? Did she want a Mia that was filled with so much pain and anger and self-loathing that she felt like she couldn't breathe?

She could still hear Bucky's screams and Mia was terrified that if she went to sleep, they might not be there when she woke up.

Those screams were her reminder, a reminder that Bucky was still alive and waiting for her to find him. That even though he might be quietly asleep right now- even though he might not be feeling anything now- the only thing waiting for him when he woke up was more soul-crushing agony if she didn't find him in time.

Hearing his screams was a comfort because it meant that he was still falling and she still had time to catch him. But, if they disappeared, it meant that she was too late. It meant that she'd failed him again and that there was even more blood on her hands.

Was this what Dabria had wanted? She had said that Hermione Granger wasn't interesting to her but maybe she'd have been better off with the girl she used to be.

Maybe she would have been better off with the forever-sidekick to the Boy Wonder than with the Girl-Who-Failed. Maybe everyone would have been better off.

* * *

_If it wouldn't have upset their mother so much, Bill would strangled Ron by now._

"_I don't see what the big deal is," his younger brother whined. "So Hermione's alive- that's a good thing!"_

"_No, Ron, it's not!" Bill slammed his mug on the kitchen table and the glare he shot at his brother made the other man flinch. "I've spoken with the goblins, Ron, and they made it clear that Hermione is out for blood- specifically yours! Apparently, she doesn't like that you spent so many years trying to get into her vault. Among other things."_

"_But I'm her fiancé!" argued Ron. "I had a right-"_

"_You were never engaged! Did you forget that I know the truth? Or have you been lying for so long that you've started to believe what your stories?"_

_Ron stewed in silence for several long moments. "Well, what are we going to do now?"_

"_We__ are going to do nothing! You are going to do what you should have done all these years and keep you mouth shut. I am going to try and find out just what exactly Hermione wants and hope that it isn't literally your head on a platter. Because, I'm going to be honest with you, if that's what she wants then what she'll get. I have my own family to protect now, Ron- I can't keep cleaning up your messes."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	10. Chapter 10

**(A/N): Hello. How's it going?**

**... guys. I've made a terrible mistake. I should have continued my stance of wanting nothing to do with all things DCU. But no, I couldn't do the sensible thing. I've spent the last week in a fanfiction hole where I've read all things Jason Todd because I love him and OMG HIS HISTORY READS LIKE A GREEK TRAGEDY. What is up with that?! At least I haven't been writing any fanfiction for it though. That's a win.**

**Shoutouts to PIPhoenix, nightgigjo, d8rkforcen1ght7, Najada (side note I sent you a PM and just want to make sure that you got it), Silas Serenity, Berizuhime, Sora Loves Rain, Westcoast222, JessMalfoy8810, Adharablack85-2, Catzandbookz8, like. 56, Pterodactyl1993, alexaguamenti, Nessa Kane, peachx89, and Guests for reviewing! I appreciate every one of you and your support means the world to me. **

**I've had a few people asking about Natasha. I think Natasha is such a badass. But I also don't think we really saw the full extent of that until CA:WS. In the beginning, she was a cool spy but she also had a very... distant vibe about her. In CA:WS though, she really became the badass "I'll do what I want" Natasha. So just... keep that in mind going forward.**

**This chapter is unbetaed so my apologies for any mistake. **

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy! **

* * *

"_I still can't believe that he didn't know," Fred repeated for what felt like the hundredth time._

_Angelina leaned forward in her chair so that she could be sure that Fred was able to see her glare. "If you say that one more time," she warned, fingering her wand._

"_But it doesn't make any sense," George joined in. "We knew, and we weren't as close to her as Harry was- he was supposed to be her best friend. If we knew she wasn't dead, how come he didn't?"_

_Neville sighed and checked to make sure their privacy spell was still working. After the debacle at the Hog's Head Inn, he, Fred, George, Angelina, Alicia, and Hannah had apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. Hannah was managing the bar that evening and the others had taken advantage of one of the private dining rooms to discuss what had occurred earlier._

"_What is it, Neville?" Alicia asked, having heard him sigh._

"_The reason Harry didn't know that Hermione wasn't still alive is because he didn't want her to be," he told the group bluntly. "Think about it- if Hermione didn't tell Harry that she was going to pull a runner and hasn't contacted him since, it means that she didn't want him to know. The rest of us would hear that and think that Hermione just wanted a clean break from Wizarding Britain, and who could blame her? But to Harry, her being alive and not telling him would mean that she abandoned him."_

"_And who could blame her for that?" snorted Alicia, staring down into her mug. "After everything that happened, who could blame her for wanting space from Harry? I mean, I know it's not his fault, but even someone on the outside like me could tell that, a lot of the time, it was Harry running off and pulling reckless shit but it was always the people around him paying the price."_

"_You're not wrong," Neville agreed. "Like in our Fifth Year when we broke into the Department of Mysteries- Harry was the one who had the idea to sneak out, but Hermione knew it was a trap. She knew it, but Harry didn't care what she though. Harry had decided that we needed to go, and you were either with him or against him. But Harry was the only one who came out of that fight unharmed."_

"_No one would tell us for sure, but is it true that he almost killed another student in your Sixth Year?" George asked._

"_Yeah. He almost killed Draco Malfoy using a spell he'd found written in a random book. Didn't have any idea what it would do but he used it anyway and then tried to justify it. Hermione told him to get rid of the book, had been telling him to do it all year, but he just ignored her like he always did. And then Ginny yelled at her about it. The thing that really struck me though was how… tired Hermione looked. Like that conversation had gone exactly how she thought it would."_

_Fred made a face. "Don't get me wrong, I absolutely understand and appreciate a healthy dose of hatred towards the ferret, but almost killing him at school because you're suspicious of him is going just a bit too far, even in our books."_

"_He wasn't even really punished for it," Alicia told them, rolling her eyes. "He got detentions but that was it. I swear, Harry could have murdered someone in the Great Hall in front of the entire school and Dumbledore still wouldn't have done anything. I don't think any of us really cared about how unfair it all was at the time but looking back now… Harry, Ron, and Hermione really did get away with everything, didn't they? I remember sometimes feeling annoyed about it when we were in school, but now that I'm an adult, it's almost terrifying to think about just how bad things were at Hogwarts. Dumbledore may have been in charge, but I never saw the other teachers trying to stop him. I don't think I could ever send my kids to Hogwarts."_

"_Harry always went running head-first into danger," Neville started solemnly. "To be honest, I think Dumbledore always encouraged it. And Hermione always had his back and look where it got her. Look where it got all of us. We looked at Harry like he was supposed to be our Savior when all he really was was a kid. We put all that pressure on him and it went to his head- it's not just the adults fault that things turned out the way they did; it's partially our fault too and we need to take responsibility for that."_

* * *

Sitting in the window seat of her study, Mia stared blankly out over the city. When she had first seen it, she'd wondered why on Earth Tony had thought to put a window seat anywhere in the Tower when the only view one could have was of downtown New York. Now, Mia was just grateful that he had. They loomed over the majority of the surrounding buildings so there was little blocking the sun streaming through the window and sinking into Mia's skin. For the first time in days, she felt almost warm. Even after breaking from Bucky, Mia still had an ever-present chill burrowing into her bones.

It had been two weeks since… since she'd…

Some days, Mia almost felt like the fight with the Kree had just been a bad dream. She'd wake up in the mornings and be so sure that that was all it could be- that there was no way it could be real. There was no way she could have taken all those lives with such careless deliberateness.

But then she'd hear her mother's even breathing coming from beside her in the bed and feel the twinge where Bucky used to be, and it would all come flooding back. There was no hiding from the truth for long, Mia knew that better than most.

What was it she had told Tony about the British Wizarding media when they first met?

"_It's all absolutes when it comes to the British Wizarding World. You're either a sinner or a saint, a hero or a villain, a blushing virgin or a red-lipped whore."_

Hermione had spent so much criticizing those journalistic practices but right then, Mia couldn't help wondering if perhaps they had a point. _A hero or a villain. _While she may have argued the point before, the truth was that maybe she had fancied herself a hero. But then, in a split second, she had turned away from being a hero and made herself into a villain.

Maybe Clint was right. Maybe she was no better than Dumbledore.

Hermione had been though. Hermione had been a good, if sometimes a bit vengeful, person. She would never have murdered innocents to save herself.

It seemed she really was Hermione no longer.

She was a sinner and a villain and all that was waiting was for her to make herself over into a red-lipped whore.

Her hands would never be clean of the blood covering them- the many hours she had spent scrubbing away in the shower testified to that.

There was a knock at the door and Mia glanced over to see Pepper walking into the room. "Hey, sweetie," she greeted, a cup of tea in hand.

Mia nodded in greeting but said nothing. Pepper didn't seem bothered by her silence, simply walking over to sit in an armchair close to the window. "You feeling any warmer?"

Out of everyone, only Pepper and Tony were aware that Mia was still struggling to stay warm. While Tony had at first worked himself up over the thought that Mia's body temperature was still unstable, Pepper had quickly realized that the chill was really all in Mia's mind. The only time the girl seemed to stop shivering was when she was being hugged or even casually touched by someone else. She couldn't officially diagnose anything, but Pepper was almost positive that Mia was feeling touch-starved but also simultaneously feeling unworthy of even being near them. It hurt Pepper's heart to even think about it and she knew that she would fight to the bitter end to make sure Mia realized just how amazing and loved she was.

Leaning forward, Pepper pressed the tea into Mia's hands. "I thought you might like to have something to drink before you and Tony leave. He wants to head out in about an hour so you should have enough time to drink that and then change."

Frowning, Mia set the tea aside and finally spoke. "I'm not going." She didn't know where exactly Tony was planning to run off to but she had no interest in joining him.

Pepper sighed. "Mia, you can't keep hiding away. I cannot even begin to understand everything you're feeling right now, but I do know that this-" she waved her hand between Mia and the tower- "isn't going to make things better."

Mia's arms tightened around her knees. "What, do you think watching my father leave again is going to be what breaks me?"

"No, Mia, I'm worried that having Loki see you before he leaves is going to be what breaks _him_."

That made Mia pause. She knew how painful it was for her father to leave now, had heard the loud, cutting arguments and curses he had hurled at Thor when the blond informed him that they needed to return to Asgard. Through their bond, Mia could feel the rage and self-loathing curling down her father's spine. He hated himself for leaving her, for causing her pain and nothing Mia said could make it better.

She felt ashamed. How self-absorbed was she to not even consider how painful it would be for Loki to have to look into her eyes as he- in his mind- abandoned her.

"Carol's also worried," Pepper continued, unable to see the new waves of emotions crashing over Mia through her blank expression. "I promise- it's not about you."

"_Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all."_

"_Which is?"_

_The Ancient One turned to look at him. "It's not about you."_

"_We don't get to choose our time. Death is what gives life meaning. To know your days are numbered. Your time is short._

"_You'd think after all this time I'd be ready."_

Tears began to stream down Mia's face and she reflexively lifted her hands to cover her ears. _Please stop_, she silently- pathetically- begged. She didn't even know who she was pleading to, but Mia hoped that someone, anyone, was listening.

_But in allowing your fear to govern you, you have missed the most basic of lessons… That death is an inevitability of life and it's an inevitability of war. No matter how hard you try, you will not be able to save everyone._

Gods, she just wanted it to stop. All the thoughts and the memories- hers, Bucky's, the possibilities of the Time Stone. Mia just wanted to find a moment of silence both inside her head and out, a moment where she could just breath.

"Mia?" Pepper quickly moved so she was kneeling in front of the trembling brunette. "What's wrong? Do you need me to get someone? JARVIS-"

"Please don't," Mia choked out. "I don't want them to see me like this."

"Sweetie," she sighed, heart breaking. Pulling her into a hug, Pepper tried her best to reassure her. "It's okay to be sad, Mia. There's nothing wrong with feeling upset or angry or in pain. You don't have to be ashamed of feeling."

Roughly wiping away at her tears, Mia told her, "It hurts them when they know I'm upset- look at how much it's affecting you now to see me like this."

"It'll hurt us more to know you're hiding from us," Pepper gently countered. When Mia just continued to stubbornly stay silent, she silently sighed. "Go get changed," she ordered, standing and tugging the brunette up along with her.

Apparently deciding it wasn't worth the fight, Mia trudged off to her room and Pepper quickly left to return to her and Tony's floor.

When she stepped out into the living room, she saw Tony sitting on the couch with his head tipped back and eyes closed. "How is she?" he asked without opening his eyes.

"Not good," Pepper admitted. Walking over to join him, she sank down onto the couch and curled into his side. "She's upset but trying to hide it because she doesn't want to hurt us. Loki leaving is just going to make it worse."

Tony wrapped his arm around Pepper. "I know," he responded, voice heavy. "And Carol can't stay much longer either. I just… I don't know how to help her, Pepper. And what if we try but end up only making it worse?"

His concern for his sister made Pepper love him even more. To the rest of the world, Tony was an arrogant, unfeeling asshole. But while he might have his moments, he also loved more deeply than anyone she knew and, if you were fortunate enough to be one of Tony's loved ones, he would do whatever it took to protect and care for you. "It's going to be worse before it gets better but we love her, Tony- Mia knows that. As long as we're there for her and remind her that she's not alone, then we'll make it through this. We won't let her fall alone."

* * *

When Tony met Mia down in the parking garage, she had changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top that he'd given her that had 'The Savage Life Chose Me' written across the front in red. "Love the clothes," he greeted her. "Whoever gave you that shirt must know you so well."

Mia shrugged listlessly. She was too tired and too numb to banter with Tony as she normally would. If it wasn't for the fact that she thought Pepper was right, Mia would have crawled back into bed by now and stayed there for the remainder of the day. But staying too close would only hurt her father more and she needed to make sure that his return as Asgard was as easy as possible for him. Loki was already agitated enough, no need to add onto it by making him feel as though he was continually failing her- especially when the only one failing was her.

Tony seemed to brush aside her silence, moving to open the passenger door to his current favorite car. "Well, nothing to it but to do it, kid- in you get. We've got a busy day ahead of us." Mia grimaced as she got into the car and Tony chuckled. "Just kidding- being busy means effort and that's just too much work."

As he started the car and pulled out of the tower, Mia settled back into her seat and allowed Tony's chattering to wash over her. What he was saying didn't really matter, it was just the fact that he was treating exactly as he had before that brought her comfort. He didn't seem to think any less of her despite what she'd done and it was… confusing. And a little frightening. Because Mia was positive that one day, sooner or later, Tony was going to realize that she was a terrible person and there was nothing Mia hated more than waiting for something awful to happen.

The more he talked, the more relaxed Mia became until she unexpectedly fell asleep. As soon as he was sure she was totally out, Tony stopped talking. Mia had seemed to slowly unwind as they talked the night before and he took a chance that the same thing would happen again. Tony could see the irony- he tried to survive on as little sleep as possible yet there he was, pushing his sister to sleep as much as she could. He'd have to keep an eye on Pepper in case she tried to use this against him.

It took far too long for them to make it out of the city- Tony really needed to get back to his flying car idea without Mia or Pepper noticing- but once they were out it was smooth going from there.

Popping in an earbud, Tony turned on his music and forced himself to not think about anything for the next three hours.

* * *

When she'd first been forced into the car with Tony, the last place Mia had expected for them to end up at was the ocean. Her brother's first response to any situation was to throw money around so she had been dreading the prospect of ending up in some high-end store. But this? This was… perfect.

Breathing in deeply, Mia felt the tension in her shoulders ease at the smell of the ocean and the sound of the waves. Scrunching her toes in the sand for a moment, she took several steps forward until she was ankle deep in the warm, clear water. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, enjoying the feel of sun soaking into her skin and the light breeze fluttering over her.

Tony walked up behind her and placed a pair of sunglasses on top of her head. "You should probably hang onto these- just in case."

Mia glanced behind her and gave him a small, soft smile. "Thank you."

As per usual, Tony automatically ignored the gratitude being shown to him. "Don't forget to put on more sunblock soon."

"You're paler than I am," she pointed out, turning around and looking pointedly down at her brother's legs. Mia didn't think she had ever seen him in a pair of shorts before.

"Only because we've been stuck in New York for so long," he quickly retorted. "I'm used to spending all my time at our Malibu house."

"That place is not a house, Tony, it's a mansion. And an oddly shaped one at that."

He placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. "I designed that house myself!"

"Hence why it is oddly shaped."

As quickly as her good mood had appeared though, it dissipated the moment Mia realized she was actually feeling happy. She felt too much like she had _before_. But it wasn't before- they weren't before.

_She _wasn't before.

Turning back to look at the ocean, Mia tried to swallow down the lump in her throat. What right did she have to feel even a moment of happiness after what she'd done? Those people would never feel any happiness again because of her.

_What you did was sacrifice. But what could have been was a slaughter._

Mia rubbed her eyes. She needed to stop thinking about that. She hadn't agreed to be Dabria's champion or anything of the sort. And she absolutely needed to stop trying to rationalize what she did.

Tony wanted to say something, wanted to convince his sister that she was allowed to be happy and that she was still a good person. He couldn't though. Not because he didn't believe all that- because to his dying day Tony would always believe that Mia and Pepper were the best things in the world and deserved all the brightest things life had to offer. No, he stayed quiet because he knew that his words would only hurt her more right then.

He'd felt the same way after Yinsen. After realizing that innocent people had been and were being murdered by the weapons he had designed. When he'd learned just how much he had actually earned the title of Merchant of Death.

There was no quick fix to stopping the pain- Tony knew that. If he could, Tony would take all the pain Mia was feeling onto himself in a heartbeat. But instead, all he was able to do was stand next to her and make sure that she was reminded of all the simple joys that were still to be found in the world. Because standing there in the ocean, all the things weighing down on them seemed just a little less heavy.

* * *

Clapped in chains again, Loki stewed in silence as he glared at the back of Thor's head. Once again he was being dragged away from his daughter and- once again- the fault for the separation laid in the hands of his _brother_. It was only Carol's steady presence beside him that kept him from using his silver tongue to slice as deeply into Thor as he could.

She would accompany them back to Asgard before returning back to Midgard for a few days more. Loki was curious to see if the Allfather would allow Carol to leave so easily after their first interaction and the part of him that reveled in chaos hoped that Odin would attempt to stop her. Carol wouldn't hesitate to destroy Asgard with her bare hands if that's what it took to get her point across- she was far more powerful than all of Odin's forces combined and she was not to be trifled with.

"Are you ready?" Thor asked, and Loki's lips curled into a sneer.

Carol beat him to the punch though. "Well that's a stupid question, isn't it?" she snapped.

Thor had the good sense to at least appear to be sheepish in response to her criticism. "My apologies, Lady Danvers. I just wanted to ensure that you were ready for Heimdall to open the Bifrost."

"What if I'm not ready?" Carol couldn't resist asking. "Does that mean we would just stand here and wait till I was?"

"No." Sif glared at the blond, clearly still firmly in the stance of hating the woman who appeared to be an ally of Loki.

"Then why ask?"

Loki's lips quirked. Watching Carol wind up Thor and his fool friends reminded him of exactly why she had caught his attention all those years ago. He knew how odd it would look to others that a woman who hated playing games had managed to catch the gaze of infamous trickster. But, for all that Carol hated playing games, she was a worthy adversary when it came to verbal sparring and turning the tables on all that opposed her.

He'd come to find that those qualities were all much less enjoyable when turned on him though. Their years together raising their daughter had shifted them from strangers to partners. They learned each other's secrets, discovered the weak points in their armors, and found the best way to present a united front. Yet, for all the ways they relied on each other, there was a part of Loki that could never bring himself to fully trust Carol.

She hadn't wanted Mia. In the very beginning, when she'd first learned that she was pregnant, Carol had wanted nothing more than to be rid of the unwanted visitor inhabiting her body. Loki had been lowered to begging in order to keep her from having an abortion. He'd been so terrified to find that he had created something as pure and innocent as a child but, more than that, he had been filled with _wanting. _He _wanted _that child more than he'd wanted anything in his entire life. And when Loki had learned that Carol was carrying a girl, he'd fallen in love. A girl who hadn't even taken a breath yet already had him wrapped around her finger and he couldn't have been more thrilled.

If he could have found a way, Loki would never have given her up. He would have brought her back to Asgard with him, watched her run around the palace as he had done, and raised her as the princess she was. But it was not meant to be and he had been forced to bitterly watch as someone else had the privilege of watching over his light. The fact that her life had ended up being filled with so much pain and suffering still haunted him.

Carol hadn't seemed to share his confliction though. He had watched her give up Mia without looking back and move on with her life. She set about achieving all her goals- leaving the town she was raised in, joining the military, becoming a pilot- while Loki was forced to cater to Thor's whims on Asgard and rarely had the opportunity to sneak down to Midgard to check on his daughter. Even after what had happened with the Kree, after she had regained her memories, Carol had left the galaxy with the Skrull without even pausing to check on their daughter.

If she had, then she might have been able to protect Mia- might have been able to save her from the agony of a torture curse and a slur carved into her arm. But Carol didn't spare a thought to her daughter's well-being and Loki _hated _her for it. He _hated _her for throwing away the one thing he would have given anything to have- a chance. A chance to raise her, to love her, to know her. If there had been a way for him to save Mia without Carol, he would have done it in a heartbeat.

Even after all these years, he couldn't help wondering. Carol had come when he'd asked and agreed to the bond that had been required to save their daughter without hesitation. She'd stayed and helped raise their child- been a willing presence in Mia's life as much as he had. But that was it. While Loki had desperately sought a way to better protect Mia from the threat of Thanos, Carol had been content to sit back and observe. Though that was an approach Loki generally favored, the time for waiting had passed. If they wanted to protect their daughter, then they needed to act. What was Carol willing to do to protect Mia? What was she willing to sacrifice?

Thanos grew more powerful with every day that passed and sooner or later, he would make his way to Midgard. He needed to be dealt with before it got to that point and if it fell on Loki to do it then so be it.

"Open the Bifrost," Loki ordered abruptly. It was time to stop stalling- he was going back to Asgard regardless of his own wishes and wasting time would not change that. He would prefer to get the coming minutes and confrontation over with as quickly as possible.

Ignoring the looks given to him that varied from surprise to suspicion, Loki looked up to watch the rainbow bridge form. There was a sort of irony to the fact that something so objectively beautiful would be the cause of so much pain. At least Mia wasn't here this time, watching as her father once more abandoned her.

"We're not abandoning her," Carol whispered to him, knowing what he was thinking. "We are not failing her."

Glancing over at her, Loki smirked. "Yes, we are. But is that not what we do- leave when she needs us the most?"

Carol flinched. _You could have stayed_, she hissed into his mind. _If you hadn't gone off and tried to take control of Asgard, then maybe none of this would have happened._

_And you could have kept her,_ he sneered back. _All the pain and grief she has endured could have been spared if you had your priorities straight. How unfortunate then that there's no way for us to change the past._

The sound of the link between them slamming shut echoed through his mind.

* * *

"Are they a couple?" Bruce asked Pepper after the Asgardians and Carol had left.

"No idea," she told him, shaking her head. "I know they're friends, at least, but I have no idea how close they actually are."

Bruce nodded thoughtfully. "What about Mia and Steve? Are they a couple yet?"

"No. And I have no idea why but I am not going to ask."

"Because it's none of your business or because you really don't want to know?"

Pepper turned to walk back into the tower. "Because it doesn't matter. It's their choice on what they want to be and I support that. Besides, Mia is not in a good enough place to be in any kind of relationship and I'm proud that she's aware enough to know that."

Shrugging, Bruce agreed. "You have a point. I think Steve knows that too- which is good because Tony might actually try to kill him if he tries anything in the near future."

"If Steve doesn't stop trolling him, Tony might just kill him anyway." Pepper couldn't help rolling her eyes as she thought of Steve's latest tactic. "Natasha apparently showed him a book of cheesy pick-up lines and every time Tony starts to annoy him, he chooses one at random to use on him."

He burst out laughing. "Oh man, I would have paid to see that."

"I've had JARVIS saving the footage every time he does it," Pepper admitted. "We're going to watch it all one movie night when Tony's really getting on my nerves."

"Sounds like a plan," Bruce smirked.

Pepper sat down on one of the stools in the kitchen and watched as Bruce set about making himself a cup of tea. "So, I didn't get a chance to ask before but how was your visit with Dr. Ross?"

"Betty is fine," he answered, keeping his head ducked down. "She seems to be doing really well away from… all this." Bruce flapped his hand.

"You mean away from her father," she muttered, eyes turning hard.

Bruce visibly tensed. "General Ross isn't a bad guy," he tried to defend.

"Isn't a bad guy?" Pepper repeated, incensed on his behalf. "Bruce, that man lied to you in order to get you to work on the project to recreate Steve's serum because he knew you didn't want anything to do with it. He lied about it and then blamed you when it failed. He then started hunting you across the world in an obsessive need to get his hands on your blood so that he could make more of you. And then, when he did have some of your blood, he tried to create his own Hulk but instead turned a soldier into a creature they literally referred to as the Abomination which _destroyed_ Harlem."

"The Hulk attacked him. Of course he'd want him taken down."

"But he didn't want to take down the Hulk! He wanted to figure out how to build his own personal army of Hulks! And let's not even start on the crap he tried to pull with Tony when Tony decided to stop building weapons."

Finally turning to look at her, Bruce asked, "How do you even know about all of that?"

Pepper grimaced. "Ross tried to have you taken into custody after New York," she admitted and Bruce's eyes widened in shock. "He came to the Tower and demanded we hand you over. Thank god for JARVIS- he had already had all the information about your past dealings with Ross compiled and had even managed to dig up some old photos and videos of Ross experimenting on captured terrorists and other military prisoners. Once we threw that at the army, they backed right down. Apparently, they didn't want people asking questions about that on top of everyone's demands to know just where the nuclear missile that was aimed at Manhattan had come from."

"You…" Bruce seemed at a loss. "I don't…"

She understood. "You're one of us, Bruce," Pepper told him warmly. "And we protect our own. No matter what happens in the future, we'll always have your back. I promise."

* * *

_Angelina shook her head. "We all know that Hermione had enough reasons to leave and never come back. But, are we really saying that Harry would rather think she was dead than even consider that she'd just run off?"_

_Fred hummed. "Hermione being dead would feed right into that martyr complex he's always had, wouldn't it? His most loyal friend viciously murdered by Death Eaters in order to protect him. If the choice was believing that Hermione had died protecting him or had finally had enough of his shitty behavior and left, it's not exactly surprising that Harry would choose to think the former rather than the latter."_

"_But none of us thought she was dead," Angelina whispered, suddenly looking tired. "None of us decided to believe she was dead because it hurt less than thinking she didn't want to speak to us anymore."_

"_No, we choose to believe that she was alive because it was easier," Neville retorted, feeling slightly ashamed. "Because after the battle- after watching so many of our friends die- it was easier for us to think Hermione had just left. Had gone off and was living happily ever after rather than think she was dead. And the more time that passed without them finding her, the more likely it was that she really had just run off. And we were all so relieved to think that at least one of our friends wasn't dead- that we hadn't failed another person." Suddenly, Neville let out a strangled laugh. "Did you know, Luna does this thing every year on the anniversary of Hermione's disappearance where she leaves flowers at Hermione's parents graves in memory of their daughter? I asked her once why she does that. Did she think Hermione wasn't alive? Did she know something I didn't? Do you know what she said to me?_

"_She said that she left those flowers for the Hermione that we knew because that girl was dead- she died that day in Malfoy Manor. Because whoever walked out of there, she wasn't our Hermione anymore. She said that our Hermione Granger was gone, and she's not coming back. And she's right- our Hermione is dead. Whoever Harry encountered- whoever is coming back- it's someone else and we need to acknowledge that right now. Because Hermione doesn't deserve to have us forcing our ideas of who she should be down her throat."_

_The look Alicia gave him and the rest of the group was filled with fire. "She may not be the exact same Hermione that we remember, but she's not going to be an entirely different person. War changes a person, we all know that, but Hermione's too strong to ever let herself be broken down so completely that she turns into a totally different person."_

"_It doesn't matter if she's not exactly who we remember," George agreed. "She's still our friend and we failed her once. But no more. No matter what happens- even if the rest of Britain turns against her- we'll have her back. Because if it were reversed, she'd do the exact same for us."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	11. Chapter 11

**(A/N): Hey everyone! Sorry about not posting last week- work was insane and I just couldn't muster up enough energy to get this chapter finished and put out. Hopefully things will calm down though!**

**Shoutouts to Nessa Kane, Alyxia, General Mac, Sora Loves Rain, PIPhoenix, Najada, Westcoast222, KateKat1992, dark m00n angel, julespunch, Catzandbookz8, KindaTwisted21, nightgigjo, Pterodactyl1993, and Guests for reviewing! I love you all so much and thank you for taking the time to review! You are what helps keep me writing, even when I'm feeling confused and lost.**

**I think so many of you are going to be surprised about this chapter's opening scene. I know you all think that I hate Harry. The thing is though, I don't hate him. I think he's a kid who got dealt a really crappy hand and never actually had a stable adult figure in his life and that's left him a little... emotionally stunted. However, in this story, everything is seen from Hermione's point of view and from where she's standing, Harry doesn't look so good. But there are multiple sides to every story, you know? But also that doesn't necessarily mean that he's going to be a hero in this. I just like to make sure that my characters are nicely rounded.**

**This chapter is unbetaed (but guys! I might have found a beta and I'm so excited! Fingers crossed!) so apologies for any mistakes you spot.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Harry slowly made his way through the graveyard, pausing at his parent's graves to leave flowers before stepping past theirs to the headstone he was looking for. _

_Hermione Granger_

_September 19, 1979 – April 10, 1998_

_Here lies a beloved daughter, friend, sister, soldier_

_Gone but never forgotten_

_When he'd first decided that he wanted to create a headstone for Hermione and have it placed beside his parents, Harry had been told that only people who had lived in Godric's Hallow could be buried there. He had made such a fuss though that they'd eventually allowed him to do as he'd pleased. Ron had thought he was mad for wanting to have a headstone made for Hermione- after all, why bother with one when there wasn't even a body? But Harry had wanted it, had needed it. Hermione's body might not have been resting there but he'd hoped that at least her spirit would be able to find peace and join his parents and Sirius on the other side. It turned out to be a fool's hope._

_He honestly didn't know why he was there. Hermione was alive. She was alive and she hated him and he both did and didn't understand why. And every time he tried to work it out in his head- tried a way to figure out how he got to this point and how he could fix it- Harry just felt worse. Nothing sounded right. Nothing sounded like a reasonable explanation that he could give Hermione to make things better. In fact, every single thing he came up with sounded worse than whatever he'd thought up before._

'_Sorry I let Ron tell everyone you were madly in love- I just thought you forgave him because that's what you always did.'_

'_Sorry I didn't do more about the corruption in the Ministry- I didn't know how to start and you weren't there to ask.'_

'_Sorry I didn't do more to save you- I didn't even know how to save myself.'_

'_Sorry I let you down.'_

_Yeah, he didn't think those sorry's would get him anywhere with Hermione._

_Abruptly turning on his heel, Harry strode out of the cemetery. He had no idea what had happened to her, just that she disappeared from Malfoy Manor._

_It was time to have another conversation with Draco Malfoy._

* * *

Carol was gone.

Her mom was gone and Tony and Pepper were hovering so much that Mia felt like she was slowly suffocating. They loved her and were worried about her- she understood that- but it was all just too much right then.

She didn't deserve their love. She didn't deserve their concern. She wasn't the one they needed to worry about.

Needing to escape for a bit, Mia snuck out of Stark Tower and, keeping her face hidden in the hood of her jumper, began to wander the streets of Manhattan at random. She just wanted to be lost for a little bit- wanted to find herself somewhere her true name didn't matter. Where _she_ didn't matter.

They were all trying so hard to help her. Pepper had even tentatively brought up the idea of finding some kind of therapist, but Mia had quickly put an end to that conversation. What would she even say to a therapist? 'Well, I killed numerous refugees from an alien planet and then had a horrifying conversation with Death- who goes by the name Dabria in case you were wondering- and learned that there's an evil overlord figure named Thanos who wants to murder half the universe. Also, she thinks I should be alright with letting innocent people die in my attempts to stop him because what are the lives of the few compared to the lives of the many and I'm not sure how to process that idea.'

Mia couldn't even bring herself to tell her parents about what had happened, she certainly wasn't going to tell a complete stranger. Though, she suspected that even if she wanted to tell them about Dabria, she wouldn't be able to. She had heard her parents whispering about a block in her mind and knew that Death was guarding their time together and the memories she had been given.

Those memories- Bucky's memories- haunted her every time she closed her eyes. But they weren't really Bucky's memories, were they? They were the Winter Soldier's memories. HYDRA had taken Bucky and destroyed everything that made him who he was. Mia could still hear his screams, still feel the phantom pain of having electricity sent directly into her brain. Out of everyone, Mia was uniquely able to empathize with what Bucky had gone through in the beginning- only the beginning though. She remembered what it was like to be unmade. Bellatrix had unmade her, and her parents had helped put the pieces back together. Without them though, who might she have turned out to be? What kind of person could she have become?

Glancing up at a street sign, Mia realized that she was now in Hell's Kitchen. It wasn't unexpected really, considering how close this neighborhood was to the Tower. She was honestly a bit surprised that this area still held as bad of a reputation as it did considering how close it was to Midtown. Perhaps it was because of everything with Fisk.

As she turned a corner, Mia bumped into someone and her hood fell back.

"I'm sorry," she automatically apologized.

"Watch it, bitch," a man snapped.

Looking up, Mia studied the three men in front of her with a raised brow. They were all white, wearing leather jackets, and one even had a tattoo on his face. What was it Tony had said- a face tattoo is a literal sign that a person's spent quality time in prison?

"Hey," one of the other men started, "I know you- you're that Stark girl."

The way their eyes lit up made Mia roll her eyes. "Whatever it is you're thinking is a terrible idea; I suggest you walk away."

The one she had bumped into smirked. "Why would we do that? We were just startin' to get to know each other."

"Could you be any more of a cliché?" Mia sneered before moving into action.

Kicking the first man in between the legs and causing him to fall to his knees, she then punched him in the face with enough force to send him falling backwards. His head bounced off the concrete with a sickening crack. Before his two friends could even move, Mia had taken them down as well.

Her response had been automatic, and it wasn't until after she was done that Mia's mind caught up to her actions. She felt her face flushing a deep red and Mia reflexively reached back to grab her hood and try to shield her face once more. "That may have been an overreaction."

"Nah," came a voice from behind her, and Mia spun around. "They had it coming. Good reflexes."

Standing a few feet back was a man wearing a black jacket over a dark shirt and jeans. His hair was short and cut close to his skull and his face was covered in bruises. "How much did you see?"

He shrugged. "Knew what they were going to do. Saw that you can handle yourself."

Unlike with the three men, this person didn't set her instincts on edge. Despite the fact that he was clearly a fighter- when he took a small step closer to her, Mia could see that his knuckles were bloody and bruised- it didn't seem like he had any ill-intentions towards her. "Well, I am a woman walking alone at night; being able to handle myself is somewhat of a necessity."

Giving a low hum of agreement, he seemed to hesitate for a moment before saying, "You're kind of a ways from home, aren't you?"

Mia stiffened. "I'm not sure what you mean."

He snorted. "Hate to break it to ya, ma'am, but you're kind of recognizable."

She sighed. "That I am. I'd introduce myself, but it's clearly unnecessary. What's your name, soldier?"

It was his turn to stiffen. "What makes you think I served?"

"Your appearance, the way you stand, the way you just reacted," Mia listed. "Plus, the only other person I know who refers to an unknown woman as 'ma'am' was in the army- which doesn't necessarily mean anything but combined with the rest… I could be wrong, of course, but I'm rather confident in my deductions."

Slowly nodding, he told her, "Name's Frank."

His finger started tapping rhythmically against his thigh and Mia glanced at it for only a moment before looking away. "Well, I should be going. It was very nice meeting you."

Before she could walk away, Frank said, "It's dangerous walking around at this time of night on your own, ma'am."

"I can take care of myself," she told him coolly.

"Oh, I can see that," Frank retorted. "But better safe than sorry, yeah?"

Mia folded her arms across her chest. "What, are you going to walk me home?" The way he froze in response made her regret making the joke.

"Guess so," he told her abruptly. "My old lady would have my head if I let a kid like you go out by yourself."

She almost told him no, she could make it home on her own, but something made Mia pause. The look in his eyes was almost pained and she wondered why that was.

"I think most women would have your head just for referring to them as your old lady." Stepping to the side, Mia turned to face back the way she came. "Let's go, soldier, before my brother sends out a search party."

Frank fell into step beside her. "That likely to happen?"

"He may not seem it, but Tony can be rather overprotective with those he cares about." Mia was rather sure that her brother was probably following her every step via JARVIS as she spoke.

"Hmm. Can't say I blame him. I'd worry too if you were my sister and I found out you were wandering around Hell's Kitchen at night."

"Yes, but you've seen just how capable I am at taking care of myself." She slid her clenched fists into her pockets. Tony was also well aware just how skilled she was and it was probably why he worried.

"Don't matter how good of a fighter you are- you love someone, then you can't help worrying about them when they're out of your sight." The pain in his voice made her chest ache and Mia had to swallow back all her questions. It wasn't her business what happened to him and she shouldn't try to involve herself in it anyway- she was sure to do more harm than good.

"Yes, I suppose that's true- I feel as though worrying about Tony is just a constant state of being for me by now."

"That's because your brother is always pulling stupid shit," Frank grunted.

Mia laughed. "That is the understatement of the year. If he's not creating something that is sure to cause chaos, he's coming up with an idiotic idea that we have to talk him out of."

"You don't sound too bothered."

"He's my brother," she shrugged. "He's family."

Frank didn't respond and when Mia glanced over at him, he seemed to be deep in thought. It didn't appear to be a happy thought though, based on his furrowed brows and the frown pulling the corners of his mouth down.

Mia realized that they were only a few blocks away from the Tower- fully out of Hell's Kitchen- and came to stop. "I think I can make my way from here. I don't want to take up any more of your time."

"You sure?" Frank asked, pulled from his thoughts.

"I'm sure. But," Mia hesitated for a moment, debating with herself. "I… thank you, for offering to walk me back." She sighed. So much for staying out of it. "Look, I know this is very rude and intrusive of me but judging from the bruises on your face and by how tense you are, it's clear that you're in a bit of trouble. I may not look it, but I do have some experience with bad situations. If you ever find yourself needing some help…"

He stared at her, his dark eyes boring into her with an unusual amount of intensity. "You offering to help me? Why? You don't know me, or anything about me."

"You were kind to me. Why is it so strange to think I'd be willing to return the favor?"

"Just because I helped you doesn't make me a good person."

"And just because I have pretty face doesn't make me a saint. I'm not trying to find out your life story, Frank- I'm just… holding out a helping hand that you can choose whether or not to take." Everyone was so willing to help her right now and it felt almost nice to be able to be the one offering help- even if Frank wouldn't accept it.

"I'll keep that in mind then," he retorted, clearly just attempting to placate her.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Please, don't go to too much trouble on my account."

That almost got a laugh out of him and just a bit of the darkness in his eyes dissipated. "You have a good night, ma'am."

"Same to you, soldier."

* * *

"I still think this is a bad idea," Tony insisted as he paced back and forth.

Pepper didn't look up from the magazine she was flipping through. "Mia hasn't even been gone for a full hour yet, Tony. This isn't the first time she's wandered off by herself and she's been gone for hours before you started worrying."

"Yeah, well, that was before." Pulling a metal object from his pocket, Tony began to fiddle with it as he walked. "She's still not doing well. You know it, I know it- hell, even the fucking secretary in the lobby probably knows it. She's shouldn't be out on her own. What if she gets hurt? Or kidnapped again?"

Finally giving up on pretense of reading, Pepper tossed the magazine aside and stared at her boyfriend. "I know you're worried about her, Tony- I am too. But we can't try and lock her away forever because we're scared. And, to be perfectly honest, you and I both know that if anyone is hurt tonight, it's not going to be Mia."

Tony flinched. "Yeah, that's also kind of what I'm nervous about. Who knows what she'd do if she hurt someone else."

She understood his concern- Pepper was also worried about just that- but she'd also caught the trapped look in Mia's eyes a few hours ago. "Do you trust her?" was all Pepper asked. "Do you trust Mia?"

Blinking at her in confusion, Tony promptly replied, "Of course I do." No hesitation, no qualifications. Tony Stark trusted Mia and that was all there was to it.

"Then you have to prove it to her," Pepper told him gently, standing up and walking over to stand in front of him. "Right now, Mia is feeling scared, ashamed, and angry. She feels like she's an awful, terrible, worthless person; she's feeling a bit like you did when you came back from the Middle East. And us hovering over her all the time is just going to make her feel worse because it'll look like we also don't trust her and we think she's seconds away from snapping. Mia knows that we'll be there for her, but she needs to feel like we don't think any differently of her than we did before."

Sighing, he muttered, "I just... what if someone gets the jump on her again? Or there's some sort of accident- like if her temperature starts going all over the place again? What if she gets sick?"

"Aw," Pepper couldn't resist teasing. "Look at you, sounding all parental."

He waved her off. "I'm serious, Pep. This is serious. Take this seriously," Tony ordered, pointing a finger at her.

Rolling her eyes, Pepper dryly told him, "Oh, I'm more serious than a heart attack right now. Which is probably what you're going to give yourself if you don't calm down."

Then, much to her dread, Tony's eyes lit up. "We should get her a bodyguard!"

She stared at him in disbelief. "A bodyguard? For Mia?"

"Yes!"

"For the girl who is part Asgardian and part... whatever the hell Carol is?"

"Well who else would I be talking about?"

"Literally anybody else." Pepper reached out and grabbed Tony by the shoulders. "Tony, be serious. It's _Mia._ What are you going to do- call up Asgard and ask to borrow someone? Because if it's not some kind of alien watching her, then they're honestly not going to be all that useful for a situation Mia couldn't handle herself in."

"No, it's a brilliant idea!"

"What's a brilliant idea?" Almost in unison, Tony and Pepper looked over to see Mia watching them closely, the door to the stairs swinging shut behind her.

"Did you climb the stairs up to here? From the first floor?" Pepper asked in disbelief. She knew Steve had done it a couple of times, but he at least had the decency to be sweating slightly by the time he got up there.

Mia shrugged. "Yes. It wasn't really all that difficult for me. So, what is Tony's latest brilliant idea?"

Before Pepper could stop him, Tony was blurting out, "I'm hiring a bodyguard for you!"

Her eyes widened in surprise before she began blinking rapidly. Tilting her head forward and slightly to the side, Mia said, "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly. You're doing what?"

"We are getting you a bodyguard."

Pepper threw her hands up in the air. "There is no we! Don't bring me into this!"

"I don't need a bodyguard!" Mia argued, incensed.

"Sure you do," Tony retorted. "You are the Stark Heiress. You are a Very Important Person. You need a bodyguard."

Scoffing, she replied, "You don't have a bodyguard and you're much more fragile than I am."

"But Pepper does! Pepper has a bodyguard!"

"Did I suddenly grow a few inches and gain blue eyes and red hair? No? Then I'm not Pepper!"

"Should I take offense to that?" Pepper idly wondered, knowing that neither of them were listening to her anymore.

"Look," Tony attempted to placate. "I know that you can look after yourself. But, after everything with your temperature going up and down at random and you passing out, I'm worried that something like that could happen when you're by yourself."

Mia relaxed slightly. "I understand that, Tony. But I cannot have a bodyguard. As far as I'm aware, a bodyguard is supposed to stay with their charge at all times while out in public. They could not do that with me and it's only a matter of time before someone started asking questions that we would not be able to answer. I make frequent trips to MACUSA, have regular meetings with S.H.I.E.L.D., and have gotten into the habit of apparating away without thought. Also, and I cannot stress this enough, I don't want one and if you try and make me put up with a bodyguard then I promise you I will make your wild younger years look positively tame compared to the stunts I will pull."

Her deadly serious tone left Tony at a loss for words and Pepper quickly jumped in. "What if we gave you final approval?" When the siblings turned to look at her, she rolled her eyes and dryly added, "Yeah, I'm involving myself in this now. So, what if you had final approval? We'll do all the legwork finding someone- I have a few contacts with MACUSA because of you that I can call to get names from- and then we'll do our own checks on them. Only then will we inform you so that you can meet themselves and decide if you can stand any of them."

The younger brunette thought it over for a moment. "You know you're setting yourself an impossible task, don't you?" she finally asked.

"Well, if it's so impossible, then you have nothing to worry about."

Throwing her hands up in the air, Mia snapped, "Fine!" before turning on her heel and storming out of the room.

"You are a miracle worker," Tony told her, eyes bright. "I will build an alter to worship you on."

"Don't thank me," she warned him, sitting back down on the couch with a sigh. "If that display was anything to go by, I'm pretty sure we're going to get to experience the joys of raising a moody teenager. Except, of course, that the 'teen' in question is an adult and can do whatever she wants so we have no real authority to exert over her." Looking up at her boyfriend, Pepper asked, "How did your parents discipline you when you were younger and acting up?"

Tony shrugged. "They always just gave me a credit card and went on vacation for a few weeks by themselves. I stayed at home with Jarvis."

"God, your parents were trash."

"Hey!"

"Sorry."

* * *

As soon as Mia was back on her floor, she had JARVIS engage security allowing no visitors onto her floor. Stumbling into the living room, she sank down on the rug with a sigh.

"Are you alright, Miss Stark?" JARVIS inquired.

Mia slumped over and curled into a fetal position. "I don't know," she admitted. "This day has turned into such a mess."

"If I may," the AI started delicately. "Sir is just trying his best to protect you."

"I know," Mia whispered. "But I don't want a bodyguard." She didn't want to have someone around to look after her. She didn't want to have another person she needed to keep up appearances for and someone else to worry about getting hurt if another attack should happen. Mia was almost indestructible by Earth standards- what good would a bodyguard do her?

"Miss Stark, it is highly unlikely that Miss Potts and Sir will be able to find anyone matching the criteria that has been set forth."

"I know that, but they still want one." Her chest felt tight as she tried to hold in her sobs. "They want someone to keep an eye on me because they don't... they don't... tru-trust me."

For supposedly only being an AI, JARVIS was doing a very good impression of someone feeling highly distressed. "Miss Stark, I'm sure that it not the case. Sir has stated multiple times that he unequivocally trusts you."

Mia shook her head but didn't reply. "Is Steve in the building?"

JARVIS noticeably hesitated for a moment before answering, "Captain Rogers has returned to D.C. Apparently there was a mission with S.H.I.E.L.D. that he could not miss."

Steve was gone. Her mom was gone. Her dad was gone. Bucky was gone. She rolled over so that her face was hidden in the carpet.

She hated feeling like this- always wanting to be left alone when someone was there but then desperately wanting companionship when she was by herself. Why was she such a mess? Why couldn't she figure out just what it was she wanted?

Well, actually, Mia knew what it was she wanted- to jump back in time and come up with another plan so that she didn't do what she'd done. Unless that ending was essentially inevitable. Wasn't that the point that Dabria had been trying to make? That death waits for no one and, if it is your time, then so be it? Or perhaps she was reading too much into that conversation.

If it wasn't for Bucky's memories plaguing her, Mia might have thought that she'd just imagined having a conversation with Death. Such a thing belonged in books of folk and fairytales, not her life. But the nightmares from Bucky were absolutely real and if that was true then everything else must be too.

"_Sergeant Barnes… the procedure has already started. You are to be the new first of HYDRA."_

_Я жду приказаний_

_Ready to comply._

Mia shot upright. "How…" she trailed off, mind racing.

"Miss Stark?" JARVIS asked.

Ignoring him, Mia stood and strode into her study. Pausing only to snatch a package of sticky notes and a pen, she went to the bookshelf guarding her hidden room and paused. The last time she had gone in there, it was to put on the uniform her mother proudly wore. She had put it on with the hopes of doing good- of being a person her mother could be proud of.

_It's just a room,_ she silently reassured herself.

Taking a deep breath, Mia reached out and pulled on the copy of _Matilda._ Slipping into the room, her eyes locked on the closed chest in the corner and the piece of paper and small object on the floor next to it that she had left behind before. Setting down her things, Mia hesitantly walked over and scooped the paper and box up off the floor. Opening the note, she read:

_Mia,_

_We had this made for you earlier. Even though we can't physically be there with you now, know that we remain with you wherever you should go._

_Love,_

_Mom (and Dad too even though I'm the one writing this)_

Flipping open the lid of the box with trembling fingers, Mia inhaled sharply. It was a necklace with a silver pendant shaped to be her father's symbol- two snakes forming an S- on top of on her mother's star. Carefully picking it up, she immediately realized that it was actually a locket. When she snapped it open, Mia realized that it was possibly the best gift she could have ever hoped for.

Picture after picture appeared in the air an inch or so above the pendant. The first was her favorite picture from their home- the one of her parents holding her in the hospital. There were pictures of them from throughout her second childhood, pictures of her with Tony, Steve, and Pepper that she was sure the redhead must have given her parents at some point, and even one of her with her adoptive parents. So many memories packed into a charm symbolizing who she was- the daughter of Loki and Carol. Of chaos and protection, of lies and honor.

Shutting the locket and slipping the note into her pocket, Mia placed it around her neck. She was so grateful to have not looked at it before the events with the Kree. If she had worn it on that fateful day, it would likely have ended up lost forever.

Turning away, Mia sat down on the floor and ripped open the package of multi-colored notes. Clicking her pen, she began to write furiously, ripping off note after note.

_Arnim Zola: arrested 1944_

_Bucky went missing day Zola arrested- captured by Russians_

_Zola taken into custody and locked in American prison_

_When was Zola released?_

_Who released him?_

_Zola gave Bucky metal arm and figured out way to wipe his memory_

_Vasily Karpov- connection to Zola?_

_How did Zola have access to Bucky?_

_Where did he experiment on Bucky?_

_Was Bucky brought back to America or was Zola given free rein to travel by S.H.I.E.L.D.?_

_Is Bucky being controlled by the Soviets or by HYDRA?_

Once she had finished writing down what little facts she had and her many questions, Mia stood and began placing them on the wall in front of her. When she and Clint had first started investigating HYDRA, she had begun digging into the history of S.H.I.E.L.D. in order to try and figure out what the root of all this was. However, her ability to do so was hampered by the fact that she was denied access to S.H.I.E.L.D. files and resources and the fact that someone had done a terrific job of pulling key information out of the things she could find. Her father had given her a name- Vasily Karpov- but that name had led her down a Russian rabbit hole.

"JARVIS," she finally spoke. "I would like privacy protocols put in place for this conversation; I don't want you to tell anyone what you are helping me with."

"Of course, Miss Stark," he agreed. "However, I should remind you, if Sir does ask me directly what it is I am assisting you with, I will have to answer him."

Mia sighed. "That's a risk I'll have to take. I'm trying to find more information about Arnim Zola and his work with the SSR and S.H.I.E.L.D. Are the files Howard Stark kept about him in your records or has Tony not uploaded them yet?"

"Sir uploaded all files pertaining to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the SSR after Director Fury made contact with him," JARVIS told her. "May I ask what exactly you are looking for?"

"I need to create a timeline of his movements. I know he was arrested in 1944 and taken back to America a year or so later and imprisoned here. However, I'm unsure as to when he was released, who released him, and what exactly he was doing afterwards."

"I see. Would you like me to tell you what I find, or would you prefer a paper copy?"

"Paper copy, please," she requested. "Do you happen to know now though why Zola was released?"

JARVIS was quiet for a moment. "According to my records, he was released into the United States custody because of Operation Paperclip- a plan to keep all Nazi scientists out of the hands of the Soviet's. These scientists were brought back to America and allowed to work for the government in exchange for their freedom."

This was the problem with having gone to Hogwarts in her later years rather than continuing with her Muggle education- she had missed out on so many important things. "Are you telling me that the American government was stupid and arrogant enough to let scientists who enjoyed performing torturous experiments on innocent people into their country simply because they didn't want Russia to have them? Including _HYDRA _scientists- who were a kind of danger to humanity that's in a category all its own?

"In the interest of fairness, it was only one HYDRA scientist since none of the others were brought in alive."

"Well, JARVIS, in the interest of fairness, every time I learn more about the American government and its stupidity, it makes me sad."

* * *

"_Thank you."_

_Carol turned around to see Frigga standing behind her. "What?"_

"_Thank you for all you've done for my son," Frigga elaborated. "All these years, I worried for him. He always seemed so isolated. But knowing that he had you and Mia gives me great relief."_

_All the anger Carol was currently feeling towards Loki flooded through her and redirected itself towards the woman who called herself Loki's mother. "Maybe if you weren't such a shitty mother and actually tried to help your son, he wouldn't have been so isolated."_

_Instead of responding to her comment, Frigga just smiled slightly. "You and Mia are very similar, both in looks and attitudes."_

_Carol really got why Mia seemed to hate this woman so much. "We are pretty similar, but there's one big difference between us- she tends to give two warnings where I give one." Stepping closer Frigga, she spat, "Listen well: if you come anywhere near my daughter again, I'll kill you. I don't care that you're Loki's mother. I don't care that you're the Queen of Asgard. And I really don't care how good you think your intentions are. My kid is off limits to you and so is our home." That had really upset Carol when she'd heard about it- the fact that Frigga had invaded their space and didn't even have the decency to seem apologetic about it afterwards._

_Frigga still seemed unbothered. "It would be wise of you to not forget what is to come, Captain. You will need allies in the coming years; you do not have the time for more enemies."_

"_Oh, don't bother trying that," Carol hissed. "If you know about what's coming then you know what will happen if he isn't stopped. Don't act like you would even consider staying out of the fight unless I play nice with you. After all, we either all win or we all lose. There are no other options when it comes to him. You want to threaten me, you're going to have to do better than that."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on the way out!**


	12. Chapter 12

**(A/N): Sorry for the late posting! This chapter needed a lot more edits than I was anticipating so it took longer than I thought it would. So so sorry!**

**I know this is the part where I thank you all individually but I really need to get to bed so I promise I'll do it next week, okay? I really am grateful to all of you who take the time to review my story. Your words inspire me and I'll never be able to thank you enough but I promise to try.**

**A couple of things. First, there is a scene from _Jessica Jones _in here, just an fyi. Jessica is a character that will feature in this story so I wanted to give a hint as to how she and Hermione met. Second, there is a bit in this chapter that might come across as... overly harsh towards a beloved character. So I just make this clear now: just because we like someone doesn't mean we ignore the bad things they've done. Even fictional someones. Everything I've stated about this character is canonly true. And it ties back into how historically, Nazi scientists were basically allowed to go free after all the horrible things they did and that was not okay. It wasn't okay and I refuse to make it even slightly seem like I think this was okay. So yes, this may seem harsh. But that's because I will not ignore this fact just because it involves a character I admire. We are not our mistakes, but that doesn't mean we get to just ignore our wrongdoings either. Rant over.**

**This chapter is unbetaed so sorry! All recognizable dialogue belongs to the _Jessica Jones _creators.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_I'm sorry to interrupt, Miss Stark, but I believe this is something you will want to see."_

_Mia looked up from her book, staring blankly up at the ceiling. "JARVIS?"_

_The television turned on and she swung her legs off the couch so she was facing towards it._

"_An… unusual encounter took place at the 15__th__ precinct less than an hour ago that would fall under the list of things you requested I inform you of."_

"_An unusual encounter?" Mia repeated, eyes going wide as she took in the sight of multiple officers holding civilians and other precinct workers at gunpoint. "What…"_

"_Shut up," one of the officers was ordering. "Don't move."_

"_Oh, everyone, calm down. You're killing the mood." From behind a desk popped up a man with slicked-back, brunette hair wearing a purple suit. He walked towards the one woman in the room who was neither pointing a gun nor being held at the end of one. "Jessica," he greeted, beaming at her._

"_JARVIS, run facial recognition," Mia ordered. "I need to know who that man is and Jessica's last name. And don't tell Tony." Whoever the dark-haired woman was, she clearly wasn't happy to see the man walking towards her._

"_You're not surprised to see me," he continued. "You had to know I'd come for you." From the look on her face, Jessica didn't want him to come for her. "Not this fast? I… I will admit to keeping eyes on you. Spies are easy to come by for me."_

_Jessica shifted back on her feet. "Do whatever you're going to do to me but let them go."_

"_Jessica Jones," JARVIS informed her. "Age 28. She's owns a PI firm named Alias Investigations in Manhattan."_

"_Well, I have to protect myself so…" the man was telling Jessica._

"_Then control me, not them," Jessica argued._

_He came to a stop in front of Jessica. "I have absolutely no intentions of controlling you. I want you to act on your own accord."_

"_Act how?" Jessica shouted at him. "Suicide? Is that why you've been torturing me?"_

"_Oh my god," he chuckled. "Jessica, I knew you were insecure but that's just sad. I'm not torturing you. Why would I? I love you."_

_Jessica looked horrified and Hermione felt her own horror grow. "You have been ruining my life…"_

"_You didn't have a life," he interrupted._

"_As a demented declaration of love?" Jessica continued._

"_No," he scoffed. "Obviously. I was trying to show you what I see. That I'm the only one who matches you. Who challenges you. Who'll do anything for you."_

"_His name is Kevin Thompson," JARVIS finally told her. "It appears that someone tried to erase all records of him in any system but were unable to completely do so. According to my files, he goes by the name of Kilgrave and he is said to have the ability to control mind's with only his voice."_

"_I realize this will take time," Kilgrave was softly telling Jessica. "But I'm going to prove it to you."_

"_Oh gods," Hermione whispered as she watched Kilgrave beginning to rant. "You said this happened an hour ago?"_

"_Unfortunately."_

"_I'll come with you," Jessica abruptly offered._

"_To protect them," Kilgrave spat. "Not out of choice."_

"_You know me well. We can work out the rest."_

_He didn't take her up on her offer. By the time Kilgrave and Jessica had left a precinct full of laughing law enforcement agents, JARVIS had created a list of places Kilgrave might have gone and Hermione was racing out of the tower._

* * *

Mia flipped through another stack of papers, carefully taking notes on a separate notepad.

The timeline made no sense. Bucky fell from the train, was taken by the Soviets, and then… what? Was he put on ice for a year or so until Zola could begin to experiment on him? But how did the Soviets have the technology to successfully put someone into a cryogenic stasis? Yes, Bucky had already been given a doctored version of the Super Soldier Serum but there were no guarantees that that would be enough to save him. And they certainly weren't using him as a first subject to experiment on for cryogenics; there was no way that they would go through the trouble of retrieving Barnes from the Swiss Alps and keeping him alive only to try an experiment like that. No, they would have had to be assured that he would live.

Then there was the fact that Zola was kept under close observation when he was released in 1947. He couldn't have made any trips to Europe and especially not to Russia. So, either Bucky was brought to America and had the operation somewhere nearby, or he had been kept on ice for more years than she had initially assumed.

The more Mia read, the more disgusted and confused she became. Phillips had chosen to save Zola because he was an arrogant fool and always danced to whatever orders were given to him by the American government. The U.S. had wanted as many Nazi scientists as they could get and Phillips had provided. But, what on Earth had possessed Peggy Carter to bring Armin Zola into S.H.I.E.L.D.? Because it was Peggy that had brought him into the organization. She was in charge, she had control over who was recruited in the beginning. It was because of her that Zola had been released from prison. It was because of her that Bucky was forced to endure decades of physical and psychological torture. It was thanks to her that HYDRA had infested itself into the U.S. government with such ease.

Zola was a HYDRA scientist! He enjoyed performing deadly experiments on other human beings! Did she really believe that just because he didn't kill himself rather than allowing himself to be captured that he didn't truly believe in HYDRA's ideology? Was she really so arrogant to believe that he would be loyal to them? And why did Colonel Phillips and Howard Stark just stand by and allow it to happen? Surely, they would have had to have had some reservations about Peggy's plan. Even if they both thought it was fine to spare Zola, freeing him from prison was something else entirely.

These people, they were supposed to be Steve friends- Peggy was supposedly in love with him. How could they be alright with willingly joining forces with the man responsible for Bucky's death? This betrayal didn't even start after Steve's disappearance but right in the midst of his grieving. Steve was mourning for his best friend while Phillips was holding out his hand to the man who killed him. Bucky was Steve's brother. How could they betray Steve like that and then continue calling themselves his allies? How could they continue to call themselves Steve's friends while they were knowingly spitting in the face of everything he believed in?

Maybe her thinking was too limited- too black and white- but Mia didn't care. If something ever happened to Tony, she wouldn't stop until she ripped apart the one who hurt him with her bare hands. She would never allow someone who hurt her family to go unpunished and any person who thought differently were no friend of hers.

There wasn't even a good reason for bringing in Zola. They weren't in a state of emergency, they weren't desperately in need of knowledge only he possessed. Zola was smart? There were others who were at the same level as him that didn't have ties back to a Nazi organization. Was it hubris? Was it overconfidence that led them to freeing him?

"Hey, kid?" she heard Tony calling from her living room.

"In here."

A few seconds later, Tony popped his head through the door to her study. "I… what are you doing?" he asked, staring around the mess of papers strewn across the floor and on top of every surface in the room.

"Slowly losing my mind. What are you doing?" It had been a few days since the bodyguard incident had occurred. Mia hadn't heard anything more from either Pepper or Tony on that front, but she was sure it was only a matter of time. She had kept herself busy in the meantime but hunting down more information on HYDRA and desperately trying to find any information on the USSR and Vasily Karpov.

Tony seemed to be debating with himself on whether or not to ask for more information but ultimately seemed to decide that it wasn't worth it. "We've got that meeting with Quahog in an hour. Pepper told me to tell you that if you weren't showered and dressed in the next half hour then she will RSVP in your name for three society events."

Setting aside her things, Mia frowned up at Tony. "I don't remember scheduling a meeting with President Quahog."

"Yeah," he shifted back on his heels, seeming slightly uncomfortable. "It was supposed to be two weeks ago but that wasn't going to happen so we rescheduled it."

"Right." Of course they rescheduled it. Two weeks ago, she could still barely bring herself to get out of bed. "This is the meeting to discuss what to do about Britain, right?" If it wasn't, Mia was going to have to become much more concerned with her current mental state. Which, considering she was at a point where she just did not care at all about it, probably wouldn't be the worst thing.

"Yep. Apparently the demand for you to stand before the British Tribunal of Thickheaded Twits is still going strong."

Mia stood up with a sigh. "Must you do that? Just calling them the Wizengamot would be so much easier."

"But it would also be much less enjoyable." Tony stepped out of the doorway so the she could exit the study and watched as she firmly shut the door behind her. "You didn't tell me what it was you were working on."

The words spilled out of her mouth without thought. "I'm still looking into Reyes." Not technically a lie, but also not the truth he was looking for. She couldn't tell him anything yet- Mia needed to have more information before she brought Tony into this. After all, what was the proper etiquette for telling someone that their father was partially responsible for the survival of a break-off Nazi organization? Perhaps she should make cards- that would certainly be the easiest way to tell Steve.

"Who?" he asked, brows furrowed in confusion and Mia realized that she had never mentioned her suspicions to him- only Pepper knew.

"A corrupt DA who handles crimes in Hell's Kitchen. JARVIS is helping me look into her."

Tony nodded. "Alright but just remember, if you dismantle the entire justice system here then you're responsible for rebuilding it."

Mia snorted. "Is that not what I'm already doing?"

* * *

When Mia and Tony were led into the MACUSA President's office, he was sitting at his desk reading over some paperwork. Looking up, he stood and greeted them with a large, welcoming smile. "Hello, Tony, Mia."

Mia smiled back at him and moved to greet him with a kiss on the cheek. "Hello, Samuel. How are you?"

"Busy," he sighed, leading her over to a couch on the other side of the room and waving for Tony to sit next to her as he took a chair across from them. "We're to host the Quidditch World Cup next year and the preparations are getting a bit out of hand."

"Ah, sports," Tony commented unenthusiastically, and Mia nodded at him in commiseration. It was nice having someone who also didn't understand the hype about athletics.

Samuel rolled his eyes. "Yes, Tony, I'm still aware that you could care less about my people's international pastime."

"It's not that I don't care, it's just that it's not important."

"You really need to stop doing that," Mia told him. "Especially to people who can and will use a Silencing Charm if you get too annoying."

"That would assault," Tony protested. "What would the people think if they heard that the President assaulted Iron Man?"

"I never said Samuel would be the one doing it."

With a laugh, the President interrupted them. "Play nice you two- don't make me call Pepper."

"Like this would surprise Pepper," Mia snorted. "If you told her, she'd probably laugh before telling you that you invited us here so now we're your problem."

_She could do this. She could pretend to be normal. This was normal._

"You're not wrong," he agreed before sighing. "Minister Shacklebolt has been harassing us about you again. Well, not you- Hermione Granger. Seems Potter is putting pressure on him so that he'll put pressure on us."

"What do they want?" Tony asked, sitting back and stretching his arm out over the top of the couch.

"They want Hermione Granger. They want to know how she survived, where she's been hiding all these years, and why she ran." Samuel locked eyes with Mia. "There have also been some questions about several object that mysteriously vanished from Hogwarts right before you went on the run and that were never returned after the war ended."

Mia smiled, eyes dark with a malicious mischief that Tony had seen before in Loki's gaze. "Oh, really? And what exactly do they think I have?"

Instead of seeming put off, Samuel gave her an admiring look. "You did it, didn't you? You actually stole the Hogwarts register."

Tony frowned, looking over at his sister. "You stole what now?"

"There's a book that was created by the founders of Hogwarts that contains the name and location of every magical person within the United Kingdom. Every time a magical child is born- even if they're from a Muggle family- their information is magically added to the book so that they can be sent their Hogwarts letter on their eleventh birthday and all other Hogwarts correspondence," Mia explained, still looking smug. "Even once they've graduated, the book still keeps track of them unless they formally apply to have their information removed."

"The book mysteriously disappeared right after Dumbledore's death and was never found again." Quahog was still watching Mia. "Something that was thought to be impossible since the book is charmed to never be allowed to leave the Hogwarts grounds."

"If the book disappeared, then how are they finding the kids from non-magical families so they can be invited to Hogwarts?" Tony asked.

Samuel finally looked at him. "They're not. The only students studying at Hogwarts now are those coming from magical families."

"There was a second book created at the time of the first- supposed by Salazar Slytherin- that only recorded children descended from magical families," Mia explained. "It was during the time when Witch Hunts were most common and many muggleborn children were killed before they reached the age of 11, or refused to go to Hogwarts. Without the first book, they would have to be relying on the second."

"The Ministry was rounding up the muggleborns during the war," Samuel started, voice soft. "But without that book, they were unable to find any of the muggleborn children who hadn't started at Hogwarts yet. As long as none of them accidentally used a large amount of magic- since that's the only way a muggleborn child would ever pop up on Ministry radar- they would be safe."

Tony smiled proudly at his sister. "You saved them."

Mia only shrugged. "Well, now, there's no proof that it was actually me, is there? This is all just speculation. After all, stealing that book would be a very grave offense and I am a law-abiding citizen." Both men snorted in amusement at that. "Speaking hypothetically though, if I were to have stolen such an important treasure, I would have made sure to hide it somewhere no one would ever be able to find it- even if I were to die. I might have also made sure to have created a way to ensure that those muggleborn children would still be educated- perhaps by creating a copy to give to someone like the Headmistress of Beauxbatons. After all, it would be easy to get those children and their families out of the country using muggle transportation since only magical travel was being watched. Again, this is all pure speculation of course."

"And the charms placed on the book?" Samuel questioned.

She sat back. "Haven't you heard: some charms are made to be broken."

The President just shook his head in amazement. "You managed to both save an untold number of lives and start the downfall the British Wizarding World. I don't know whether to be impressed or terrified."

Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Tony questioned, "Start the downfall of what now?"

"Wizarding Britain is having a population crisis," Mia told him. "Fewer and fewer magical children are being born- partially because the purebloods still insist on only marrying one another and partially because the society is so insulated that people rarely interact with let alone marry either Muggles or foreigners. No fresh blood is being added to the society and so it is stagnating. There was even talk of enacting a marriage law but it was deemed worthless since almost all of the known muggleborns were killed during the war. Even with a marriage law, they would only be buying themselves a fraction more time. If things go on like this, Britain's magical society will collapse within a few generations at most."

"And you're okay with that?" Samuel asked her. "You're fine with that?"

Mia shifted to look out the window, staring out at the city with distant eyes. "The world has changed, President Quahog, but Britain refuses to change along with it. That society is corrupt to its very core and no amount of fighting and attempting to restructure is going to change that. Sometimes, there is no saving a thing- sometimes, the best thing we can do is to start over."

"They will come after you," he warned. "They're looking for someone to pin the blame on and if you're not a help to them, then they'll turn you into their scapegoat."

Gaze shifting from distant to cold and hard, Mia smirked at the President. "Then let them come."

* * *

"That book," Tony started when they were in the car on the way back to the tower. "Is that the only thing you stole?"

Continuing to stare out the window, Mia asked, "Do you really want to know?"

"Uh, yeah."

Her lips quirked upwards. "I also stole several other books containing a variety of dark spells that Dumbledore was hoarding. Some of them even had notes he'd made about how to improve a spell. The real trick was getting the books out without any of the magical portraits seeing."

Giving her an appraising look, Tony commented, "That's odd- Weasel doesn't seem like a big reader to me."

"Oh, I'm sorry- I thought you were just asking about books. Were you wanting to know about something else?"

Tony grinned, but it quickly faded. "So, we're going to London."

"Yes." Mia wasn't worried. She was the daughter of Loki and had, since her last time in Britain, accepted all the powers and abilities that came with her heritage. "We'll have to make sure your suit has a better resistance to magic before then."

"We should also check Gramps frisbee."

Mia's fingers twitched in her lap. "I doubt S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to allow their golden boy to join us," she muttered. "He is the face of their organization, after all."

Tony's gaze bored into her. "Hey, speaking of Steve, he's called me about a million times because he can't get ahold of you and it'd be great if you could get him to stop doing that."

Forcibly unclenching her jaw, Mia retorted, "I am not Steve's keeper. If you want him to stop calling you, then you tell him to stop."

He couldn't let it go. "Do you think he left because he wanted to? Because JARVIS has got footage of him arguing with Fury for almost an hour because he didn't want to leave you."

"_Bucky always had my back when I would get into fights, he was the most loyal guy you'd ever meet… All those times he saved me, and I couldn't save him when it mattered."_

"I don't want to talk about this," Mia warned.

Luckily for her, they were pulling up to Stark Tower then and Mia almost leapt out of the car to escape from the conversation Tony wanted to have.

_I'm with you till the end of the line._

She couldn't do this. Mia couldn't just talk to Steve and pretend that they were fine- pretend that she wasn't keeping something this big from him. Not telling him about HYDRA was one thing, but hiding the truth about Bucky?

But, how was she supposed to tell him? How could she tell Steve that Bucky was alive when she had no proof? She had no physical evidence to give credence to her claims, no idea where Bucky was currently being kept, or any sort of timetable for how long it would take to find him. Steve might have believed her even without evidence, but that much unknown would break him. And, if she told him about Bucky, she'd have to tell him about HYDRA and she couldn't do that. Him knowing would put him and everyone else at risk and ruin her carefully laid out plan. Mia wanted to take out HYDRA as efficiently as possible and with as few civilian casualties as they could manage. Steve would want to immediately take action, which she could understand, but thoughtless actions would lead to unnecessary deaths.

Before she knew it, the elevator doors were opening up onto her floor. Mia couldn't even remember getting on.

As soon as she stumbled out into her apartment, Mia fell back against a wall and slowly sank down, curling into a ball. She was so tired. Tired, sad, and alone. Tired because she felt like her war would never be over. Sad because she was hurting everyone she cared about and didn't know how to stop it. Alone because they didn't understand what she was feeling right then and while she prayed they never would, Mia couldn't help wishing for someone who did.

How do you live with the emptiness? How do you live with what you've done? How do you be okay afterwards?

Her phone started ringing in her purse. Mia ignored it, pressing her face into her knees. After a minute of continuous ringing though, she blindly reached out and felt for her bag and pulled her phone out. Peeking over just enough to find the green answer button, she hit it with her thumb and brought the phone up to her ear, staying silent.

"_Hermione," _Steve sighed in relief and she flinched. He didn't sound upset or angry that she had been avoiding him, just happy that she finally answered. The little piece of her that was made entirely of bitterness and rage hated him for being so good and fine while she was breaking apart at the seams.

When she continued to stay silent, Mia thought that Steve would eventually grow annoyed and hang up on her. She was counting on it. Instead, Steve told her, _"Fury thinks it would be good for me to train more with the STRIKE team so today I had to run drills with them. I don't think it's going the way he thought it would. They seemed to grow more and more resentful as the day went on._

"_It's kind of jarring coming back here. I miss being back at the Tower. I miss hearing you demand that Tony do 'normal people things' like eating regular meals and drinking water not alcohol. I miss pretending not to know pop culture references and causing Tony to start ranting. I miss hearing you and Pepper plotting about things I still absolutely do not want to know. I guess… I miss you."_

Hermione's mouth fell open in a silent cry and she trembled with the force of the sobs she kept buried deep.

"_I finally moved out of S.H.I.E.L.D. housing into my own apartment. It's an older building, quiet neighborhood- nothing like our old apartment. I think you might actually like this one. My neighbor is a nurse- I've only seen her once- and she keeps really odd hours but at least she's pretty quiet. All the unit are soundproofed but with my hearing I still can sometimes hear too much, you know?"_ Steve kept talking, telling Hermione about everything he'd been up to, the people he was meeting, the places he had been to so far. He told her about some of the museums he'd been able to visit and which ones he wanted to go back to when she came to visit him. The one he was most hesitant about was the museum containing the newly opened Captain America exhibit. While he did want to see some of the things there and watch the video footage of interviews done with Peggy, Howard, Colonel Phillips, and his Commando's, Steve also explained how he wasn't sure if he was ready to watch those now.

She didn't know how long he talked but, eventually, Steve finally fell silent.

"I felt unstoppable," Hermione whispered, feeling an overwhelming need to confess. "When I put on that suit, I felt powerful- like I could do whatever I wanted and no one and nothing could get in my way. And I was right. I was full of drugs, alone and scared, and still, no one could stop me."

"_It wasn't your fault,"_ Steve murmured back.

"I killed them, and no one could have kept me from doing that, Steve. No one could even have stopped me from going. And maybe that's the problem. Maybe I should have been stopped. Maybe I still should be."

"_Don't say that," _he ordered._ "You are not a bad person."_

"Or maybe your emotions are just- are just clouding your judgement. Maybe you just can't see it. T-Tony and Pepper want m-me to see a therapist. T-they think s-something is wrong with me; they th-think I'm broken and n-need to be fixed."

The sound of Steve's sharp inhale felt like the loudest thing in the world right then. "You're not broken- you don't need to be fixed, Hermione. There is _nothing _wrong with you."

The tears were spilling down her cheeks and soaking into her clothes. "I hope that's not true, Steve, because if this is what being whole feels like then I-I don't want to be anymore. I don't want to feel like this. Steve, it hurts- _it hurts_."

"What do you need, Hermione?" he pleaded, distressed. "How can I help?"

"I just want to forget, Steve," Hermione admitted. "Please, Steve, I just want to forget."

She could feel herself growing more and more hysterical but could do nothing to stop it. Steve's voice was faint in her ear and, as if from a distant, Hermione could hear JARVIS speaking too.

He was asking- begging- her to calm down, to talk to him. But she couldn't do it.

The elevator doors dinged open and Pepper was kneeling in front of her and Tony was picking her up while Pepper slipped the phone out of her hand and then she was being set on her bed and Bruce was helping Tony pull off her shoes and jewelry while Pepper got her jacket off.

Bruce was asking her questions she didn't have the answers to and then he was holding a bottle up to her lips for her drink and she did so without question. Sleep immediately began to overtake her as her muscles went lax and hands were helping her lay back in bed.

She hated sleeping. She hated sleeping because, for one blessed second when she first woke up, there was absolute peace. For that one second, she could feel like nothing was wrong. But then, the truth would come rushing back and she had to relive it over and over again. The flash of a ship exploding played out behind her lids while the sound of Bucky's screams still echoed in her ears. And while afterwards those screams would be a comfort and at night she would worry about them disappearing while she was asleep, in the early morning those screams would feeling like they were ripping her apart.

The horror was her mind and there would never be an escape.

She was trapped. She was trapped in a nightmare and it was exactly what she deserved.

* * *

_Clint was hiding something from her. _

_He was hiding something, and Natasha really didn't like it. Especially since it had something to with Mia Stark a.k.a. Hermione Granger._

_She had tried to figure out what was going on, but Clint was doing his absolute best to make sure that there was nothing to find. If Natasha really wanted to, she could break through all the security he was using and find out what he was spending his time searching for. But, if she did that, then she would be breaking Clint's trust and disrespecting his boundaries. _

_That had been a big thing in the beginning. Clint had spent so much time teaching Natasha that just because she wanted information didn't mean that she was entitled to it. When it came to their personal lives, of course, not work. He explained what boundaries were and why they were so important and, once she'd figured out what hers were, had always respected them. She wouldn't do him the disrespect of ignoring his._

_It was the fact that his project involved Stark that worried her the most. Natasha knew exactly what Mia thought of her and while she couldn't necessarily blame the other woman for her wariness, Natasha knew that Mia was far more dangerous than her._

_Natasha was an expert at surviving. She was an expert at information gathering and at killing. Natasha had never met a challenge she couldn't handle. But Mia was able to be one thing that Natasha never could be: a born leader._

_Mia had the ability to capture and inspire loyalty in even the most powerful of people. Rogers reaction to her wasn't all the surprising considering how similar the girl was to Peggy Carter. But Tony's response to her? Bruce's? Those were two of the most closed-off men she had ever seen but they had both fallen under Mia's thrall with little to no effort on the girl's part. Even Pepper Potts adored her, and that woman had a hardened attitude that even Natasha could appreciate. All of them would hop to action the moment Mia snapped her fingers. All that combined with who her family was- Loki, Carol, Thor- and Natasha knew she was right to be wary. Mia was the kind of person who would reshape the world however she saw fit and wouldn't let anyone stand in her way._

_Mia Lokisdottir was a threat, and she was one that Natasha didn't think she'd be able to neutralize if the time came for it. A fact that was made even more obvious after the incident with the Kree._

_Natasha wasn't a leader. She had no interest in being one either. Natasha was good at following orders and had placed what little trust she could find into S.H.I.E.L.D. in the hopes of wiping some of the blood off her ledger. But Mia Stark disliked S.H.I.E.L.D. She didn't trust in the organization and that distrust bloomed into all those around her. _

_Was that what was happening with Clint? Had he lost faith in the organization that had saved them from who they used to be? What could Mia have said to him to foster such distrust? And why wouldn't he come to her to talk about?_

_Natasha didn't know for sure what was causing Clint's distraction. She wasn't willing to break his trust though by spying on him. So, if she couldn't spy on Clint, then that just meant she was going to have to spy on Mia. It was sure to be an almost impossible feat- spying on the daughter of a trickster- but Natasha was more than ready for the challenge._

* * *

**Please leave a review on the way out!**


	13. Chapter 13

**(A/N): Hey guys! Hope you had a nice weekend!**

**Thanks to Sora Loves Rain, Freyja-Njorda, hypercrazyx3, Adharablack85-2, Lullie, General Mac, sailorxbloom, KittyWolfM, Catzandbookz8, Famond, Silas Serenity, Westcoast222, peachx89, alexaguamenti, DOAWOTA, moozga, Pterodactyl1993, and Guests for reviewing with the last two chapters. Your encouragement and support mean the world to me!**

**Okay, so, in this chapter there will be scenes/characters from _Thor 2, Daredevil, _and _The Punisher_so if you recognize something (or someone) it's probably from one of those. I'm really looking forward to hearing what you all think about this chapter and the insight into Frank's character. He just breaks my heart sometimes and I want him to break yours too. We should all feel the pain.**

**This chapter was betaed (I know, I can't believe it either!) by the wonderful, spectacular, sailorxbloom. She's amazing and I'm so grateful she's willing to take on this hot mess of story!**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Carol could almost hear Mia telling her what a terrible idea this was._

_She could hear her daughter's voice in her mind listing out all the ways this plan could go wrong and what would happen if it did. But Carol didn't- couldn't- care. There wasn't time for caution anymore._

_The longer they waited to act, the more likely it was that Thanos would find out about Mia. Or even that Ronan might find out about her. She and Loki had worked so hard to ensure that their daughter was safe and hidden. They had given her up to keep her safe and it was all for nothing._

_Loki called it fate and destiny, but Carol had never believed in that. Fate was for suckers who were too scared to trust in their own merits. She might have been like that once, with the Kree. Might have believed in a higher power and the idea that she had been given her gifts for a reason. But now she knew the truth: she'd gotten her powers because she had made the right decision at the right time. _

_No God- or whatever Loki and people like him thought was out there- had decided that she deserved her abilities and mandated that she do good. She was the one who decided to help people. She was the one who decided to fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves. That was her choice and no one else's. Just like this._

_It hadn't been easy slipping into the Asgardian records hall. She'd had to do it after returning Loki and not a single person in that hellhole trusted her. Which, considering Carol had broken into one of their most private areas and rummaged around in their sacred texts for her own personal gain, was probably fair. Not even Loki knew what she had done or what she was searching for. If he had, he'd have wanted her to wait until he could join her, and Carol wasn't willing to do that._

_This… this was her responsibility. This was her fault. This was all her fault and she needed to fix it. And she was going to do it the only way she knew how._

_Alone._

* * *

Mia lay in her bed, staring blankly up at her ceiling.

If she got up, she'd have to get dressed. If she didn't get dressed, someone would come down to check on her and give an over-encouraging speech about why she should get dressed. But, if she did get dressed, then she'd be expected to go upstairs and have a meal with everyone else. And that meal would be spent pretending she didn't see their gazes darting at her on regular basis and taking in how much she was eating, what she seemed to be eating more of, and if she'd finished her glass of water.

None of that sounded appealing to Mia so she had opted to just lie in bed until she had to move and then she'd make a decision.

Unless, of course, JARVIS offered her another idea. "Miss Stark, I have located the name of one individual whom Miss Reyes seems to be basing her Punisher case around."

It took a moment before Mia could rouse herself enough to speak. "Who?" she asked, voice laden with exhaustion.

A light filled the room then and Mia squeezed her eyes shut. "What…"

"My apologies for your discomfort, Miss Stark**.** I have projected the image of the man Miss Reyes believes to be the Punisher on the wall to your right."

Groaning, Mia slowly sat up, eyes still closed. "Since when has a projector been in here and why? Just… why?"

"Sir has hidden projectors in most rooms so that he can have access to his work even when not in the labs," JARVIS promptly answered, as if that was a normal explanation. Which, considering Tony, made sense.

Blinking rapidly in an attempt to make the spots dancing in front of her eyes disappear sooner, Mia asked, "What time is it?"

JARVIS seemed to hesitate for a moment. "It is 5:27 in the afternoon."

She should be more surprised to have slept the day away and Mia was; she was surprised that Tony, Pepper, or Bruce hadn't come to wake her up.

When her vision was finally clear, Mia looked over at the image projecting on the wall beside her and froze. "JARVIS?"

"Francis David Castle Sr," JARVIS began to recite. "Born on November 15, 1978 to Jacob Arthur Castle and Cynthia Lee Castle nee Plate. Lieutenant Castle was born and raised in Hell's Kitchen. At age 18, Lieutenant Castle enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and rose through the ranks quickly. While on leave at age 20, Lieutenant Castle met a woman named Maria Elizabeth Brandon and after three months of dating, the two were married. They had two children, Lisa Barbara Castle and Francis David Castle Jr."

It was the man from Hell's Kitchen- the one who had insisted on walking her home. "Had?" she choked out.

"According to a police report, on April 11th, the Castle family were stopped at a traffic light northbound on Buellton Avenue when an unidentified male suspect began firing a 9-millimeter handgun at their vehicle. The Medical Examiner report states that each member of the Castle family suffered from a single gunshot wound to the head. Only Lieutenant Castle survived."

She could clearly see the agony in Frank's gaze in her mind's eye. "Did the police declare it to be a drive-by shooting?"

"Yes, Miss Stark."

Mia may not know much about these types of crimes, but she knew enough. "Were each member of the Castle family only shot once?"

"According to the Medical Examiners report, the only wounds each person had was the shot to the head."

"If that's the case, then this should be labelled as a premediated or contract killing. A single would to the head implies skills and intent. If this were random, then the Castle's would have multiple wounds each because there would have been a volley of shots. Instead, it was single shots to the head- meant to kill instantly and painlessly."

"Based on the information given, I would have to agree."

"So," Mia mused, running a hand through her slightly-greasy hair, "the family was intentionally murdered, but someone appears to be going through some trouble to hide that fact. What does Reyes have to do with any of this?"

"While Miss Reyes appears to keep most of her notes and work on paper, Assistant District Attorney Blake Towers keeps his records online. According to his notes, Frank Castle is the man they believe to be the Punisher. When I cross referenced that name with Miss Reyes, I found that Miss Reyes was given Power of Attorney over Mr. Castle. After he was shot, Mr. Castle was brought to the Metro-General Hospital and Miss Reyes' placed a 'Do Not Resuscitate' order on Mr. Castle. After Mr. Castle was stabilized and placed on life support, Miss Reyes then submitted an order to have Mr. Castle taken off it."

It felt like Mia wasn't getting enough air in her lungs. "What happened?"

"Mr. Castle was taken off life support and while he initially flatlined, his heart began to beat again, and he was started breathing on his own. Several minutes later, Mr. Castle woke and less than an hour later, he left the hospital."

Throwing the blankets off her, Mia jumped out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. What were the chances that Mia would just happen to run into the Punisher while out for a walk? New York was a large city and, even if the Punisher kept only to Hell's Kitchen, it was more than just improbable that she would happen to run into him. But, did that mean something else was at play here? Did someone want her to meet Frank? Part of Mia thought that she might be being overly paranoid, but the rest of her had given up on believing in coincidences long ago.

Reyes had gone through quite a bit of trouble in order to kill Frank and Mia wanted to figure out why. And, if that reason had anything to do with the Castle family's murder- and she suspected it did- then Mia would do whatever it took to bring that women to her knees and face the consequences of what she'd done.

Mia was tired of innocent people suffering due to the incompetence of government officials. If she needed to burn this city's government to the ground in order to stop the corruption, then so be it. She hadn't been able to do much to Fisk and his collection of immoral individuals, but heaven help Reyes if she found out anything about her because Mia would rip her apart and would have fun doing so.

* * *

After showering and changing into a pair of jeans, a plain shirt, and a black jacket, Mia slipped on her black boots and left the tower. She had even managed to extract the promise from JARVIS that he wouldn't inform anyone of her departure unless specifically asked for her whereabouts. Which probably wouldn't buy her much time, but it was more than she'd expected to get from the AI.

New York was suffering from an extreme heat wave at the moment and Mia was grateful to have magic to help her. People might have looked at her funny for wearing so much if there weren't so many others wearing just as much; there were some New Yorkers who would suffer heat exhaustion in order to stay fashionable.

It was just past a quarter to eight and Mia hoped that Frank was a creature of habit and would be walking in the same general area she'd met him previously. She needed to find him, to talk to him and find out the truth of what was going on. And, if Reyes was after him, then she needed to find a way to protect him until they had the evidence to stop Reyes, one way or the other.

According to JARVIS, the evidence Reyes had that Frank was actually the Punisher was circumstantial at best. Apparently, she had no intention of him ever being tried for any crimes.

It took 20 minutes for her to make her way back into the heart of Hell's Kitchen and from there she just wandered, hoping that she would eventually bump into Frank again. She supposed she could have asked JARVIS to scan all the cameras working in the area to try and find him, but Mia felt like that was too much of an invasion of his privacy and she wasn't comfortable with that. Finding out about his family was already invasive enough.

To her surprise, it only took another 15 minutes for her to find him.

"Kid," he greeted her with a sigh when she came to a stop in front of him.

Slipping her hands into her pocket, Mia asked, "What happened to 'ma'am'?"

Frank just shrugged. "What're you doin' back here?"

Mia stood with a sigh. "I need to speak with you; it's of some importance."

"That so?" Frank snorted, seeming unconcerned.

She didn't want to play games with him. "It's about your family." That caught his attention and the way he stiffened made Mia feel badly about being so blunt.

"What do you know about my family?" he growled.

"I know that someone is trying to cover up their deaths," Mia told him, too tired to be subtle. "I know that the police are trying to bury what happened and that District Attorney Reyes tried to kill you twice in the hospital and is still now trying to get rid of you.

"She believes you to be the one responsible for multiple homicides of gang members in the area but doesn't want you arrested and put on trial for the crimes, she wants you killed on sight. What I don't know is why."

The more she spoke, the more angry Frank seemed to become but he also seemed slightly confused. "Who the fuck is Reyes?" he spat.

"You don't know who Reyes is?" she asked, somewhat surprised. "If you don't know who she is, then why does she want you dead?"

Seemingly becoming aware again that they were out in the open, Frank's eyes snapped up and scanned the street around them. It was mostly quiet, with only a few people here and there milling about. "C'mon," he ordered tersely, turning and walking away.

Mia followed him, unconcerned about where they were going. If Frank Castle meant to harm her, Mia had the feeling that he would have already done so by now. Or, at least, he would have tried to. To her surprise, they came to a stop outside a diner and Frank walked in without hesitation.

Sitting down in a booth in the back corner, a waitress quickly brought them each a cup of coffee along with a menu. "Do you know what you'd like to drink?"

"Just coffee for now," Frank told her politely.

She gave a him a tired smile before turning to Mia. "Anything for you?"

"No, thank you," Mia answered.

Once she had walked away, Frank stared at Mia with such an intensity that she felt like he could see into her soul. "Who's Reyes?"

Clearing her throat, Mia began. "Samantha Reyes is the District Attorney in charge of Hell's Kitchen. She's the one that ordered a 'Do Not Resuscitate' on you when you were first brought to the hospital and then ordered to have you taken off of life support. I believe she is also responsible for covering up what happened to your family."

Frank's finger began tapping against his coffee cup. "What do you know about what happened to my family?"

Mia stared down into her own untouched mug. "According to police reports, you, your wife, and your two children were shot in a drive-by shooting. Each of you suffered from a single gunshot wound to the head and only you survived. However, if that is true, then one could logically conclude that you were not attacked at random. If it had been random violence, there would have been more injuries. A single wound to the temple implies that the shooter was trained and aimed to kill you all with speed and efficiency. I don't know what Reyes' connection to it is though."

"That's bullshit," he growled. "They didn't die in some drive-by. It didn't go down like that."

"Then how did it go down?" she asked. "What happened to your family, Frank? Because someone is going through a great deal of trouble to cover it up and no one deserves that- no one deserves to be erased the way you and your family were."

His finger stopped tapping. Studying Mia closely for a moment, Frank's expression slowly shifted from anger and suspicion to sadness and pain, so much pain that Mia felt her own heart begin to ache in response to it.

"It… goes in and out. The fact that it fades…" his brows were furrowed, and Mia understood his concern. Before she remembered everything about her parents, she still relived the memories of them in her dreams. And every morning when she woke up and those dreams started to slip away, she would be left feeling terrified that she was forgetting something important and even more heartbroken when she couldn't figure out what she was forgetting. But there was also a fear that maybe those fragments she could recall weren't real at all, that they were fake and that's why she was forgetting the entirety of them.

"We took our blanket down to our spot," he started slowly. "She was by the carousel on the lawn… then I heard a shout. A scream coming from a grown man. I couldn't see who did it but I found out later: the Irish, the Cartel, the bikers. I should have seen it coming," Frank whispered, voice low and rough. "I heard it and I did nothing."

Mia said nothing, just closed her eyes as she tried to hold in her tears.

"It was my job to keep them safe and I didn't. My son, my baby girl… they're gone because of me."

After Frank finished speaking, Mia's teeth were grinding, and she was so tense she was shaking. His family was murdered before his eyes because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and Frank was drowning in guilt because he couldn't save them. But it wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault, yet he was the one forced to live with the guilt.

Before she could stop herself, words came spilling out with a small, bitter laugh. "Nothing's changed."

"Kid?"

Mia concentrated on keeping her breathing even. "I keep trying to believe that things have changed in the world, but nothing has. There are still good, innocent people suffering and the same sort of terrible, pathetic, monstrous officials are standing by and doing nothing."

She saw the way his face twisted, and Mia instantly felt a swelling of shame. He knew nothing about her and she knew everything about him.

"The first time I nearly died, I was twelve," Mia told him abruptly, causing him to look up from the table. "I was twelve and nobody cared. There was this… underground war going on- had started years ago and then went dormant for a bit- and the headmaster at my boarding school was a part of it. These terrible, awful things kept happening, but we didn't realize what was actually going on. We thought they were just grand adventures and mysteries that we got to be a part of-**,** we thought we were special.

"As I said, I was nearly twelve the first time, but I had a near death experience every year after that. He turned us into soldiers," she spat. "And we were grateful for the opportunity."

Frank's eyes were dark. "What happened to him?" he growled.

"He died," Mia told him, grimacing. "He died a hero, nobly sacrificing himself for the greater good. That's all anyone ever says of him. They don't bring up the fact that he used people as though they were chess pieces to be sacrificed at his discretion or that he used children to fight his war and made them think that they volunteered for it."

Jaw clenched, he rasped, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know why you're fighting, so you should understand why I am." Mia clasped her shaking hands and pressed them into her lap. "You see, I know what it's like to suffer under the hands of a corrupt government. To have your world turned upside down, and then be forced to watch as the people who are supposed to protect the innocents end up being the ones who tear them apart.

"I grew up dealing with an immoral, bigoted, backwards government. A government that was either too stupid to notice or too morally bankrupt to care about what was happening to us at our school. Whose response to a terrorist threat was to either bury their heads in the sand or to pretend they were handling things so that the public wouldn't realize how useless they actually were. Who were dismissive to the fact that a prison full of violent, deranged criminals was broken into and the worst of the worst freed. Several of us nearly died in their office building- I was sliced open from shoulder to hip- and they did nothing because we didn't matter.

"If my family hadn't saved me, I would have died quite horrifically, and nobody would have cared. And, to be honest, by the end of it, I wouldn't have cared either if I had died." Frank's eyes had turned black with rage as she told her story. "I was so scared, malnourished, and broken that death would have been a relief. It just felt like we were always fighting and there was never going to be an end. Even the people on 'our side' weren't of any help because they staunchly believed that there was never a reason to kill. But, when they simply captured our enemies, it would only be a few days before they escaped and were right back on the streets."

"You were a kid," Frank spat. "You shouldn't have been involved in any of that shit. You should have been safe."

Mia shook her head. "I was a pawn." Her childhood ended the moment she opened her books on Magical Britain and read about the stigma and violence children like her faced because they had parents who weren't magical. She might not have been fully prepared for what was going to happen to her at Hogwarts and beyond, but she knew from the start that she was going to be a second-class citizen at best. It was why she had tried so hard in her classes to be the very best- the Purebloods could sneer at her heritage, but Hermione wouldn't give them the opportunity to look down on her for her intelligence.

They had gotten a bit off topic though. "But I'm all grown up now. I am no longer that scared little girl who thought I didn't have choice, who didn't understand what was actually going on. I know that there are some politicians and police officers and civil servants who truly are doing their best to help people, but there are also always others willing to do whatever is necessary to get what they want. I know that this city is a terrible, corrupt mess and the only way it's going to change, is if we make it."

Frank's gaze was heavy, taking in everything about her and trying to figure out just what category she fell into in his head. "What exactly are you gettin' at, kid? You trying to say you want to help me? This isn't a game; I don't do what I do to be a hero. I do it because it needs to be done."

"I told you before, Frank: I'm not a saint," she softly reminded him. "I'm a soldier too; I may not have fought in the same war as you, but don't dismiss my battles as meaningless. And I'm not saying I want to pick up a gun and become your sidekick. I'm saying that I want to help you get justice for what happened to your family and help you stop any more innocent people from suffering. I want to help you, not only because I think it's the right thing to do, but because I am sick and tired of innocent people suffering because our governments can't be bothered to stop it. You do what you feel is right when it comes to the gangs but let me help you with Reyes."

"If she was involved with my family's deaths, then she's dead," Frank spat. "I don't need your help with that."

"You're not going to kill her," Mia retorted, quickly elaborating when she saw Frank's anger increase. "People like Reyes care more about appearances than anything in the world. If you want to really see her suffer, then make her watch as I rip her to shreds in front of the court of public opinion and take away everything she's worked for. Then, we send her to jail with all the criminals she's put away and see how long she lasts."

The way his eyes tightened told her what he thought of that plan and he scoffed. "That so? You expect me to believe that you don't have a problem with what I do? What would your brother, hell, what would Rogers say**,** if he knew who you were hangin' around?"

It could go either way with Tony. However, Mia doubted Steve would be pleased to hear that she was trying to ally herself with the Punisher. She wondered if his views would change though when he finally learned about what had happened to Bucky.

"Steve would wait to hear my reasons before he cast judgement. As for Tony, well, it would be very hypocritical of him to judge, wouldn't it? But it's a moot point anyway since I doubt either of us have any intentions of telling them anything."

"Little early in our relationship for you to be asking about my intentions, isn't it?"

She scowled at him. "How unfortunate, you have a sense of humor."

* * *

It took much longer than it should have to plan another time for her and Frank to meet. Since she blew up her phones far too often for them to be considered a reliable form of communication, and Frank was constantly on the move, it was necessary for them to agree on a time and place right then. When she finally got back to the Tower, Mia spotted Tony standing down in the lobby with Pepper and quickly ducked behind a parked car with a soft curse.

She knew that JARVIS would have informed them of her departure, but she had hoped to have more time before they gently interrogated her about her whereabouts.

"Is there a problem?"

Freezing in place for a moment, Mia slowly turned her head to look up at the man standing next to her. He had slicked back black hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a small smirk on his face. Doing her best to keep her expression impassive, she allowed her eyes to slowly trail down from his light jacket to his shining leather shoes. All of his garments were finely pressed, cut in the newest styles- she thought she had actually seen his outfit at one of the stores Pepper and dragged Mia and Tony to before- and Mia could tell that the Rolex on his wrist was the genuine article.

"No," she finally told him, meeting his glittering brown eyes. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Really? Because you're hiding behind my car so that your brother and Pepper don't spot you." He leaned back against the car door. "What, you sneak out without permission?"

"More like I went out without an escort," Mia murmured. "The far more interesting question is who you are and why you're here. While I do understand that business waits for no man, isn't it rather late to be having a meeting?"

He laughed and held out a hand for her to awkwardly shake. "I'm Billy Russo, I run Anvil Security. Normally I'd agree with you about it being rather late for a meeting but when Pepper Potts request to meets with you, well, you'd have to be a fool to refuse."

Mia narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "And just what did Pepper want to meet with you about?"

Russo smiled. "Oh, you know, she just wanted to ask about what kind of work we do at Anvil and the security options we offer."

"Oh no," she groaned.

His eyes almost seemed to sparkle with amusement. "She was specifically interested in our personal security options. Escorts, bodyguards, that kind of thing."

Peeking her head up, Mia checked that Tony and Pepper were gone before straightening. "I cannot believe they called you."

"Neither could Tony," he joked, and against her will, Mia could feel her lips pulling up into a small smile. "He really doesn't like me, and had no problem making that clear."

"When you're as self-confident as Tony, what's the need for being subtle?" Then she sighed and told him, "I don't know what Pepper told you, but I have no need for a guard of any kind; I can take care of myself."

He snorted and responded, "Yeah, your hiding behind my car really demonstrates that."

Flushing, she retorted, "I don't need your comments."

"Kind of seems like you need something."

"I'm sorry, but did I ask you for your opinion?" she snapped. Taking a step away from him, Mia moved to go towards the Tower. "I have an idea what you and Pepper spoke about, Mr. Russo, and I suggest you do yourself a favor and avoid having anything to do with me and mine."

Russo eyebrows rose in surprise and he called, "Is that a threat?"

Mia paused but didn't look back. "I'd prefer to think of it as friendly advice. I'm sure you've heard enough about us to realize we Stark's tend to find ourselves constantly dealing with trouble and it rarely ends well for those standing too close."

* * *

_As far as hiding places went, this wasn't the worst Carol had ever seen. Kind of a cliché, what with the Mount Doom vibe it had going, but solid enough._

_According to what Carol had read, Bor had hidden away the Aether here after retrieving it from the Dark Elves. Placing it in a stone fused with the heaviest wards he could manage, Bor had ensured that the Aether would be untraceable by even the most sensitive of the Dark Elves' trackers. However, once it was taken from the stone, anyone searching for the Aether would be able to find it as long as they had the proper tools._

_God, part of her was almost hoping someone would come try to take the Aether from her. It had been a while since Carol had a good fight. Knowing her luck though, whoever came after her would be less of a challenge and more of a pain in the ass._

_Hovering in the area where Bor was supposed to have stashed the Aether, Carol scanned the crumbling ruins for the pillar she was looking for. After almost a minute, she spotted it on a narrow walkway. Carol zoomed over to it and pulled out a container from her bag. _

_She had been guaranteed that this cannister would safely hold the Aether. And, if the person who gave it to her had been lying, Carol had guaranteed that the first person she would be coming after while the sludge was in her veins was him. All in all, she thought it was a safe enough risk._

_As soon as she neared the pillar, it started to glow red and Carol realized that the stone was separated into two sections, one hovering over the other. In between the stones was the Aether. She slowly reached out her hand and then yanked it back when red vines surged out and tried to snatch at her. Quickly opening the container, Carol watched with wide eyes as the Aether slipped into it without her having to lift a finger. As soon as was fully in the cylinder, she sealed it shut._

_Mia had said that the Reality Stone wanted to be found but Carol really hadn't expected this. It was almost like the Aether had recognized her- like it had been waiting for her. Could that be possible? She'd known that the Mind Stone was sentient and the Time Stone had something weird going on with it too but… Were they all like that?_

_Carol sighed. It didn't really matter in the end. It wouldn't change her plans._

"_One down. Five to go."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	14. Chapter 14

**(A/N): Hey guys! Hope you had a solid kind of weekend.**

**Thanks to StarKiss666, Adharablack85-2, Westcoast222, Sora Loves Rain, General Mac, Silas Serenity, aiyaiy13, Catzandbookz8, and Guests for reviewing! You guys are the absolute best and I love you!**

**So, this chapter is me giving you all what you've been asking for. We're going back to Wizarding Britain. I am ready to hear your thoughts. The end scene will contain a character from _Captain Marvel_, just in case you couldn't place him.**

**This chapter was betaed by the amazing sailorxbloom. She's so awesome and I'm lucky to have her help!**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_When Draco opened his door to find Potter waiting on his front step, he honestly wasn't that surprised. If anything, he'd thought the man would have shown up sooner._

_"What do you want?" he demanded._

_Potter bristled. "I want to talk to you about Hermione?"_

_Draco leaned against the door frame. "… who?"_

_A wand appeared in Potter's hand. "Don't play games with me, Malfoy. You will tell me what I want to know or-"_

_Merlin, he'd forgotten how fun it was to rile Potter up. Pathetically easy, too. "You'll what? In case you missed it, Potty, this is France- a street in Muggle France, to be exact. If you attack me, you will be attacking an employee of the French Ministry of Magic in front of non-magical civilians. You will be arrested, and not a single person there is going to care that you're Wizarding Britain's Golden Boy. In fact, they'd probably hold it against you."_

"_That right, I'd heard you had to run to France in order to find work," he sneered. _

"_I didn't leave Britain because I couldn't stay- I left because I didn't want to. But my actions aren't what's being called into question here. Yours are." The way Potter tensed made Draco smirk. "Tell me, how did it to feel to find out that Granger had been alive and hadn't bothered to tell you? Does it sting, knowing that you can't lie to yourself any longer about how she would feel about your actions if she was here?_

"_Does it hurt to know that she hates you now, and it's all your fault?"_

_Potter's fingers tightened on his wand. "You knew," he started, voice low. "All this time, you knew she was alive, and you just let us keep on thinking that she was dead."_

_Straightening, Draco spat, "Oh no, Potter, you don't get to try and blame me for this. I told you- all of you- right from the start that Granger had disappeared from the Manor before Bellatrix could kill her. That at the moment of her disappearance, she was still alive. You chose to ignore me. You chose to change the narrative- to tell everyone that she was dead. And you were the one who chose to weaponize her memory in order to get what you wanted. You made those choices all on your own, and you don't get to blame me just because you don't want to face the consequences of what you've done."_

"_You're not some innocent!" Potter argued. "You don't get to go and pretend that you're some sort of saint now! After everything you did- all the lives you ruined and the people you killed- you don't get to try and act like some sort of hero."_

_Draco stepped back into his house. "I know what I've done wrong. I know what my sins are. But at least I'm trying to make up for what I've done. All you're doing is trying to find a way out of this mess you've made that leaves you still looking like a good person. Well, guess what, Potter, that's not going to happen. This isn't the ignorant sheep that makes up the population of Wizarding Britain that you're trying to deceive- it's Hermione Granger. There is no way you come out of this looking like a hero. I suggest you come to terms with that fact sooner rather than later. Until then, stay away from me and my family." And with that, Draco slammed the door shut._

* * *

The next batch of flowers that Steve sent her were delivered by Clint.

Ever since she'd had a panic attack while on the phone with Steve, Hermione had been avoiding his calls again. It felt too… raw. Too exposed. She'd shown him too much of her- let him see the parts of her that she still felt unable to face herself.

She'd expected for Steve to eventually give up. She'd expected him to finally get so angered by her silence that he stopped trying to contact her. But, yet again, the man refused to do what she expected him to. Instead, Steve had just found another route to take to demonstrate his feelings and Hermione was starting to grow overwhelmed.

At least once a week, a beautiful bouquet of flowers was delivered to the Tower for her and each had a different yet similar meaning- I will never forget you, thinking of you, forever devoted, forever loyal, honest affection. Eventually, Hermione stopped looking up the meaning of the flowers because it just made her more and more depressed. It was such a sweet and lovely gesture and it made Hermione want to curl up in a ball and die.

"Hey, so, I think Steve wants to talk to you," Clint stated needlessly, setting the vase he was carrying on the kitchen counter.

Hermione glowered at him. "What are you doing here?"

Clint sighed. "I'm really sorry about what I said before. It was out of line and you didn't deserve me going off on you like that. But, just to be clear, I'm not sorry that I pushed you about telling Natasha because I still think we should. However, I can also understand your reasons for not wanting to bring her into this. Kind of."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione turned away from him and looked back down at the page of notes in front of her. Honestly, she was at the point where, if she was even slightly sure that Natasha wouldn't go running to Fury with anything they told her, Hermione would have brought her in. The records she had access to weren't very helpful with what she needed to know.

She knew that the SSR had taken Bucky. But, what had they done with him afterwards? How had they kept him alive until Zola could begin working on him? When had Zola returned? They were questions she had asked herself over and over again but, no matter how hard she looked, Hermione could never find the answers. Natasha had been part of the KGB though and Hermione wondered if the spy had access to the information she was looking for.

Unfortunately, it was too much of a risk.

"You're an agent," was all she said to Clint. "You of all people should know that being paranoid is what keeps you alive."

Only humming softly in response to her comment, he asked, "Why is Steve communicating in flowers?"

"Because using our words isn't going very well," Hermione muttered. "If you're finished saying what you wanted to say, then you should leave. I have a very busy day tomorrow that I need to prepare for." Well, more like that she _should _be preparing for. To be honest though, Hermione felt rather unconcerned for what was to come. After all, what could the Ministry of Magic really do to her? If they tried to do anything against her, she would burn them to the ground.

"One other thing." He took a few steps closer to Hermione. "I found Vasily Karpov."

Hermione froze, hands tightening around her papers. "You found… how? Where?"

That changed things. Hermione was almost sure that Karpov was the key to finding Bucky- to figuring out everything that had happened. Though the files she'd read had only referenced him as one of the heads of a secret program, she had recognized his face from Bucky's memories.

Clint just shrugged. "He's in Davenport, Iowa. It wasn't easy finding him, especially since I couldn't exactly go through my usual contacts. This HYDRA thing is really making my life more difficult."

"Oh, really?" she scowled at him. "Well, I'm so sorry if the fact that a terrorist organization managing to infiltrate the government in a bid to gain as much power as possible for their hostile takeover is inconveniencing you."

"It's alright- I'm getting by," he told her modestly. "We're sure this guy is HYDRA, right? Not just another jackass from the Russian Armed Forces?"

"Absolutely." He was HYDRA and he was part of the program that had turned Bucky into the Winter Soldier.

"Alright then, when do we leave?"

Hermione really wished that they could leave immediately. "We'll leave on Wednesday evening- I'll be out of the country tomorrow and I'll need to have some time to prepare my things before we head out again."

"That's right, I heard you were heading to London tomorrow." Clint hopped up to sit on the counter. "You sure you're ready to face your past?"

No, no she was not. "My parents each have very different fighting styles," she told him seemingly out of nowhere. "Which makes sense considering how differently they view the world. But there is one thing that both of their philosophies have: once you make a decision, you must follow through. Retreat and you will die. Hesitate and you will die. Once you've decided, you must act. I have decided that it's time to face my past- the only thing left to do now, is move."

As Clint watched her, he wondered if this was what her parents had in mind when they taught her that. Did they hope she would take their teachings and incorporate it into everything she did? Or had they just meant for her to use it while on the battlefield? "Aren't you afraid?" Clint asked, honestly curious.

Hermione looked past him to stare out the window, eyes suddenly distant. "I can't be afraid," she told him simply. "I don't have the time."

* * *

"You don't have to come," Mia pointlessly reminded Tony and Pepper. "I can go by myself. Or, at the very least, you could just take the plane and meet us there. Magical travel is very uncomfortable and travelling internationally is extremely disorientating."

"We go together," Pepper told her firmly. "Or none of us go at all. We're family, remember? We don't leave each other behind."

Mia's throat tightened. "Yes," she whispered. "You're right. Just… just stay close to me, alright?"

This was a Harry-level bad idea, which was just a rung below a Tony-level bad idea. The idea of bringing Tony and Pepper into the heart of Magical Britain almost made her physically sick. What if they realized that she had brought two non-magical people with her? What if a fight broke out? What if all that magic overloaded Tony's arc reactor? Yes, they had tested it with her own magic and it had seemed fine, but what if they were wrong? What if, because of the fact that her magic came from Loki, their conclusions were inaccurate and actual wizarding magic had a different effect on Tony?

What if she lost them because she was too selfish to go alone?

A thrum of reassurance came from her mother. _Stop worrying so much,_ she chided. _Everything is going to be fine._

_You can't know that, _Mia fretted.

_Their magic is much weaker than yours, _Loki suddenly interjected, much to Mia's surprise. It had been quite some time since her parents both spoke to her at the same time. Something had happened between them, but neither would tell her what it was. All she knew was that they avoided speaking to one another as much as they could. _If your power didn't stop his heart, then theirs' certainly won't either. _

If both her parents were telling her that, then they were probably right.

Samuel appeared in front of them and Mia's forced herself to focus on the present, not on what might happen. "Are you ready?" he asked her, voice solemn. She knew that he was worried about doing this- though they both knew it was necessary.

Mia nodded firmly. "Yes."

Glancing over at Tony and Pepper, Samuel checked, "Are you both sure that you want to do this? I know this is stressful, but I give you my word that we'll all be watching out for Mia while we're in the Ministry."

"We're sure," Tony told him, glaring. "And you're not going to be able to talk us out of coming."

"Wasn't going to try." Samuel turned back and led the group down the hallway. "You warned them about travelling by Portkey?"

"Of course- I told them that they might feel the urge to be sick and that, if that occurs, they should aim for you."

Samuel chuckled, finally relaxing a bit. "I don't know what I did to deserve such disrespect."

"Really? Because I can think of a few things." Michelle Danner- Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement- had joined their group.

"Michelle," Mia greeted, nodding her head towards the other woman. She had been one of the officials to vote for MACUSA to join in fighting the Chitauri and, after getting to know her for the past year or so, Mia considered Michelle to be one of the best leaders she'd met in the American government- both magical and muggle alike.

Nodding back, Michelle told them, "The others are waiting for us in the Office of International Travel's waiting room. I was sent to find you because, in the words of Vice President Edward Rau put it, 'we are ready to get this train-wreck-waiting-to-happen over with'."

Turning to frown at Tony, Samuel informed him, "Look at what you've done- everyone's so informal here now."

Tony smiled brightly at him. "You're welcome."

* * *

When they landed in the Ministry, Kingsley Shacklebolt was waiting for them. Hermione could feel his eyes on her, but she ignored him in favor of helping Tony and Pepper to their feet. "Alright?" she asked softly, relieved that neither of them had let go too early.

"Could be worse," Tony told her, weaving on his feet a bit before regaining his balance.

Pepper seemed a little nauseous but otherwise fine. "I'm glad I didn't wear heels," she muttered, and Hermione laughed softly.

"Yes, it would not have gone well if you had."

"Hermione Granger," Shacklebolt stated, voice just as deep as she remembered. "Back from the dead."

Finally turning to look at him, Hermione raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Mr. Shacklebolt. I would say that it's good to see you but that wouldn't be honest."

"It's Minister Shacklebolt now," he corrected.

Hermione's eyes danced with amusement. "You're not _my _minister, now are you?"

Shacklebolt's eyebrows rose in surprise. "It seems you've finally moved past your automatic respect for authority figures."

"You're mistaken," she told him coolly. "I never respected you because I believed you to have any authority over me- I respected you because I thought you were someone worthy of my admiration. I know better now though."

Before he could reply, Samuel and the other MACUSA officials stepped forward. "I know it's been awhile," Samuel interjected. "But isn't it customary for you to greet the foreign leaders and officials first? Or, has Wizarding Britain also given up on that particular courtesy?"

"My apologies," Shacklebolt rumbled. "I was just surprised at the reappearance of one of our own."

"I see," Vice President Rau hummed, a spark of amusement in his eyes. "How nice. Before I forget though, let me introduce you to Hermione's brother and his girlfriend." Gesturing to Tony and Pepper, he stated, "May I present Tony and Pepper Stark. Tony and Pepper, this is Kingsley Shacklebolt."

Shacklebolt stared at Tony and Pepper in obvious surprise. "You're related to Iron Man?" he asked Hermione.

"You know who Iron Man is?" she asked, equally shocked.

"I spent some time undercover with the Muggle Prime Minister," he reminded her. "I keep an eye on the Muggle world as much as I can."

"How nice," Tony butted in. "I love being recognized."

"Why is he here?" Shacklebolt asked Samuel, ignoring Tony. "He couldn't even keep his own identity a secret- you really believe he'll keep our worlds secrets to himself?"

It was Pepper's turn to interject. "We're both a part of this world already- we're Hermione's family. And if you think we're the kind of people who would just stand by and let her come here without us, then you're even stupider than I always thought you to be."

When Shacklebolt turned to look at Pepper, Hermione couldn't stop herself from stepping in front of the redhead. "Now, now, let's not be too hasty. After all, you dragged us here for a reason, didn't you?

"So, why don't you just go ahead and bring us to Potter so we can get this over with." The tightening around Shacklebolt's eyes made Hermione smirk. "You didn't really think we were unaware of who the driving force behind this meeting was, did you? This all screams Harry so, please escort us to where he is- we wouldn't want to keep The-Boy-Who-Lived waiting, would we?"

* * *

Harry's head snapped up when the door opened and Hermione, Tony, and Pepper entered the room. The MACUSA officials had been forced to stay behind to speak with several Ministry Department Heads- though the look on Rau's and Danner's faces made Hermione think that they were excited at the prospect at insulting as many people as they could in as short an amount of time as they could. She almost felt sorry for Samuel.

"Hermione," Harry breathed, standing up.

"Harry," she mocked, unable to help herself. Pulling out a chair, she sat down and Pepper and Tony took a seat on either side of her. "I must admit, I'm surprised that it's just you here. Was Ron too scared to face me? He always did have a better sense of self-preservation than you."

Shifting uncomfortably, the shaggy-haired man stated, "We thought it would be best if it was just me this time."

"'We'," Hermione repeated. "Which 'we' are you referring to? You and Ron? Or did Shacklebolt make the choice and you followed his orders like a good little soldier?"

Instead of answering, Harry just glanced in discomfort at Tony and Pepper.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you're waiting for an introduction then I'm afraid you'll be sorely disappointed. Knowledge is power, after all, and I'm feeling very disinclined to give you any after everything that's happened."

Underneath the table, Pepper reached out to grab Hermione's hand and squeezed tightly.

She knew that Shacklebolt would most likely tell Harry everything the first chance he had, but Hermione didn't care; she was through with giving Harry all the answers to the questions he had.

"I know you're upset," Harry finally said, "I know you're angry right now but it's not like things have been all that great for me either since you disappeared."

"Are you serious?" Tony interrupted, pissed off beyond belief. "You're really trying to say that things have been difficult for _you? _You're really saying that to the girl who was _tortured _because of _you_?"

Hermione just laughed. "Is that really why you wanted to see me, Potter? To try and find common ground over our suffering? Are you really so naïve to believe that would work on me? You really think I would have any sort of sympathy for you?" Leaning forward, her expression changed from vaguely amused to enraged in a flash. "Do you really believe that, after everything that's happened to me because of your stupidity and selfishness, I would give a damn about what you've been through? You think you've suffered? Well, I think that, no matter what you've been through, it will never be enough to balance the scales of all the pain others have gone through because of you."

Harry flinched. "I'm sorry for everything, Hermione," he quickly told her. "I truly am. I never meant to cause you any pain."

"Do you even know what you should be sorry for?" Pepper quietly asked him. "Do you really have any idea what you've put Hermione and others through? People have suffered, been injured, tortured, and killed because of you. Are you actually sorry for any of that, or are you just sorry that it made Hermione mad at you?"

"We were at war," Harry responded without looking at the redhead. Her flaming hair reminded him of Ginny, and it made his heart ache. "Mistakes were made and yes, some of those mistakes were mine. But we can't wallow in the past forever. Eventually, we have to move forward. And to do that, we have to be honest with one another about what happened."

Tony really wanted to punch him. "Fuck you," he spat. "You are a fucking piece of-"

"Sharing is caring, Harry," Hermione interrupted her brother. "You want me to tell you what happened to me? Then you first." Hermione sat back in her chair, arms folded over her chest. "Go on, tell me a story."

Harry's jaw clenched and unclenched reflexively for a moment before he finally spoke. "It's not that easy."

Shaking her head, Hermione let out a short laugh. "It never is with you, is it? What, having trouble using your own words now since you've spent so many years doing nothing but regurgitating what others tell you to?"

"You weren't here!" Harry exploded. "You don't get to judge me. _You weren't here._"

"I am not your moral compass!" she spat back. "It was not and never will be my job to make sure you do the right thing. Your actions are your choice. Look around you, Harry- where you've ended up is all on you. It's time to stop running and to start taking responsibility for what you've done; there's no Dumbledore here to save you now. No Dumbledore to coddle you and hide you away from the real-world consequences."

"I'm not the one who ran," he responded lowly. "You did."

"If that's true, then why are you running scared now? Why are you dodging questions and trying to lay blame at my feet for your actions?" Dropping her arms, Hermione shifted to lock eyes with Harry. "What happened after I disappeared? What happened to you?"

Harry looked away, unable to stand meeting Hermione's too-steady and too-familiar gaze. "Ginny died in the war. Did you know that? It was at the Battle of Hogwarts. Bellatrix Lestrange killed her. Then Molly killed Bellatrix. First you, then Ginny. I may have defeated Voldemort, but I lost you both. And for a while, I could distract myself from it.

"I focused on the rebuilding efforts, on assisting the Ministry with recapturing missing Death Eaters. And then they started asking for my help with rebuilding international relations that had been broken because of Voldemort. I didn't find out until later that it was Dumbledore who broke them first and then it was our Ministry- the current Ministry- that further damaged things by trying to lie."

"And you just, what?" Tony asked when Harry paused. "Just went along with it?"

"What good would it have done to have fought against them for it?" Harry asked, running a hand through his hair. "Everything was still a mess after the war. We needed to focus on rebuilding our society and unifying as a people."

Hermione slowly nodded. "So, when Scrimgeour requests that of you, you say no but when Kingsley- I assume it was Kingsley- asks you don't hesitate to say yes?"

"Yeah. He's a good Minister, Hermione. But you know how terrible the government is here- you did all that research into the Wizengamot and the legal system. There was only so much he could do."

"Then why didn't you do anything?" she asked. "You are the Boy-Who-Lived, the most beloved and admired man in Wizarding Britain. Right after the war, you would have been the person these people would have trusted the most. You had influence and power and instead of using it yourself, you allowed the Ministry to wield you however they liked."

Looking down at the table, Harry whispered, "I was tired, Hermione. I was tired and lost and sad. I thought you were dead because of me. I thought I had gotten you and Ginny killed, just like Sirius. Maybe that was weak and selfish of me, but that's the truth."

Against her better instincts, Hermione felt an inkling of compassion. "It's not weak to grieve, Harry. But that doesn't explain everything else. Why did you lie about me? About what I did and what I wanted? Why did you let Ron? You claim to have cared about me but even after you thought I was dead, you were still just using me like you always did."

"Ron said you guys had made up," he hurriedly protested. "That you guys had talked on the nights when one of you were on watch."

"He betrayed us, Harry. He left us when things became difficult because he's weak and pathetic. And while clearly you care nothing about honor, it did and does mean something to me. There was no going back or getting past what he did."

Harry closed his eyes. "I thought you guys had made up. I really did. I'm not going to lie though and say I had no concerns or hesitations later on, though. But so much time had already passed, and I guess I thought... I thought it wouldn't matter either way."

"And that, that is what makes you weak and selfish." The part of Hermione that had spent so many years staying quiet wanted to just let this go- after all, did it really matter now? But that wasn't her anymore. The daughter of Loki and Carol- the sister of Tony Stark- would not just stand by and this go.

She needed to make her stance clear- to give Harry the words she'd spent months organizing in her head so that he wouldn't have any doubts on where they stood. But, more than that, she needed to be selfish. For the first time, Hermione needed to put herself first. She needed to show Harry exactly who she was. She was Mia Lokisdottir and it was time to everyone just what exactly that meant.

"Everyone told you so many stories about your father and his character, both good and bad, but I feel like Lily Evans wasn't talked about very much." From the way he flinched, Hermione knew that he never expected her start speaking about his mother- no one ever did. But Hermione had searched out all the information she could on Lily Evans because once upon a time Lily Evans was everything she wanted to be. Lily Evans was little Hermione Granger's _hero _in a way no one else ever could be.

"She was simply cast as the martyr in your life's tale- the tragic figure for you to forever mourn but never truly understand. Did you know that not only was your mother was well-known for her intelligence, but also spoken of for her strength of character? Lily Evans loudly and openly stood up for what she believed was right. For years, she fought against a prejudiced system, to make her voice heard by every single Pureblood who looked down and spat on her. And when she died, the legacy she left behind was _you_.

"I wonder what she would say if she could see you now. If she could see the boy she gave her life to save, standing by and helping perpetuate the system of bigotry and elitism that she fought so hard against."

What would Lily Evans say if she could see this moment? What would she say to the girl who was using her memory as a weapon against the boy they had both died for? Would she hate her for her words, or would she be glad that someone was calling out her son for following a path she never would have approved of?

Hermione didn't care. Lily Evans wasn't her hero anymore. And there was nothing Hermione wanted more in that moment than to hurt Harry- to make him feel as awful inside as she did right then. Than to break the boy who had stood by and watched as the world broke her. She was the daughter of silvertongues and revenge and she knew that her father would be proud of the way she wielded her words like weapons.

Harry reared back as if she had struck him, but Hermione carried on. "I can't say for sure how Lily Evans would feel if she was here now, but I can say this: I am disappointed in you. I am disappointed to see the kind of man you became from the boy I knew. I am disappointed in how you've chosen to live your life- at all the pain and grief you have either knowingly or ignorantly caused. And I am ashamed. I am ashamed of the fact that I spent years calling you my friend. I am ashamed that I wasted my time defending you when you weren't worth it. I am ashamed that I ever thought you were someone deserving of my loyalty. I am ashamed that I sacrificed everything to help you and in return you spat on everything I believe in. And most of all, I am ashamed to know that my name will be forever linked with yours."

Pushing her chair back, Hermione stood up and Tony and Pepper quickly followed suit. Pausing a few steps before the door, Hermione took her final shot. "Did you know, you were thought to be the symbol of the future, a symbol of hope here in Britain. Not just because you were the Boy-Who-Lived, but because you were the son of James Potter, a powerful wizard with an impressive lineage, and of Lily Evans, the Muggleborn witch who was the brightest of her age. You were supposed to bring a new era to Wizarding Britain, a better one. Instead, Wizarding Britain is on the verge of collapse. What a disappointing future you've brought."

* * *

When they walked into the Wizengamot chambers, Mia couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face.

"What the actual fuck?" she heard Tony hissing behind her and had to smother a laugh.

Samuel, apparently feeling the same as Tony, whispered to Mia, "Are they serious? Is this actually what I think it is?"

"Yes, yes, it is." Mia's eyes swept over tiers of seated wizards and witches. The rest of her party was focused on the large metal chair covered in chains seated in the sunken center of the room. She knew what that chair was for- keeping criminals bound while they were being interrogated. That chair was only brought into the room when needed so the fact that the Wizengamot had requested it be there during their meeting sent quite the message. "Apparently the Wizengamot has planned quite the show and I'm the main event."

"Oh, _hell no_," Pepper spat, fingers closing around Mia's wrist.

Samuel, Michelle, and Rau all quickly stepped in front of the group while the others fell back behind Mia, Pepper, and Tony.

"What is the meaning of this, Minister Shacklebolt?" Samuel demanded. "First, you bring us here on false pretenses. Then, you say that the entire Wizengamot has been called for what was supposed to be an informal conversation. Now, you want to host some sort of trial? Has the standards of Wizarding Britain truly fallen so low?"

"Hermione Granger is a citizen of Wizarding Britain." Mia glanced up to see Marietta Edgecomb standing up next to Shacklebolt. Her makeup was caked so thickly on her face that it was impossible to miss, and it gave Mia a vengeful sort of pleasure. "As such, she is now being charged to explain her actions following the end of the Second Wizarding War."

This was the most beautiful thing Hermione had ever seen.

"It seems your information is as outdated as your mode of government," Rau sneered. "Miss Granger is now a citizen of the United States and holds diplomatic immunity as recognized by MACUSA and the ICW. If you want to question her, you will have to gain permission from both organizations."

As the room broke out into shocked whispers, Hermione stepped out so that she could be clearly seen by everyone in the Wizengamot and moved to the metal chair. She could feel the charms woven into it to prevent any seated there from using magic. It was old magic, almost as old as the Wizengamot itself. Resting her hand on the top of it, Mia pushed her magic into the chair and, ripping out the old spells, transformed it into an opulent golden throne. There were several cries of surprise at seeing a supposedly impossible feat, and Mia couldn't keep the smirk off her face. Slouching down onto the throne, Mia knew she looked every inch the arrogant Lokisdottir that she was.

"Showoff," she heard Michelle muttering from behind her, but Mia just continued to look up at the pale-faced Wizengamot members. Her seemingly simple show of magic had shown them just how powerful she actually was.

Spotting the look of horror on Edgecomb's face, Mia couldn't resist. "Marietta Edgecomb," she drawled. "My, my, how time flies. It has been quite a while since we last saw one another, hasn't it? Tell me, how's your face doing?"

* * *

_Talos gapped at the container in Carol's hands. "Wait. Are you telling me that that thing you're holding is the Reality Stone? __**The **__Reality Stone?"_

"_So you've heard of it?" Carol asked, lips twitching._

"_Everyone has heard of it! The question is: how did you find it?"_

_Carol shrugged. "I have my ways." Lifting up the canister, she turned it so that Talos could see the glowing red window. "But my ways do have limits. Any chance you have some idea of how to turn a Reality Stone that's been broken into a weird, sludgy, dust mixture back into a stone?"_

"_Oh yeah, sure, of course I do," Talos mocked. "I can't believe you don't. What kind of hero are you if you don't know how to fix a broken Infinity Stone?"_

"_Talos," Carol interrupted, unusually serious. "This is important. Thanos is searching for these Stones. If I want to stop him, I'm going to have to get them first. But, as long as the Reality Stone is like this, I can't use it. Thanos has been searching for these things for years- he probably already knows that the Reality Stone was turned to dust and has a plan for how to turn it back. I need to do it before he tries to take this from us."_

_He sighed. "I get it, Carol. But you have to understand, you're asking us to do something that no one else in the history of the universe has tried to do. You want us to experiment on an Infinity Stone, and one of the most volatile ones at that. The Reality Stone doesn't just allow a being to change the world around them- it can literally reshape the laws of the universe. And you want us to try and put it back together without it killing all of us."_

"_If Thanos gets his hands on it, then we're already dead. We have to try, Talos," Carol pleaded. "Please."_

_After a long moment, the Skrull sighed. "Fine. We'll try. But if this doesn't work and we end up getting eaten or whatever by the stone, I will absolutely say, 'I told you so'."_

"_Alright, but if the stone has eaten us, I really won't care."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	15. Chapter 15

**(A/N): Hello! Hope you all are doing well! I myself had a semi-unproductive weekend because I was marathoning Criminal Minds. It's relaxing watching a show that I don't have a plot bunny going for. (Cross your fingers one doesn't spontaneously pop-up).**

**Thanks to PIPhoenix, Westcoast222, Ash, DOAWOTA, Pterodactyl1993, Sora Loves Rain, hypercrazyx3, alexaguamenti, Catzandbookz8, smilin steph, Nessa Kane, KittyWolfM, Loneata, luxetverita, Adharablack85-2, General Mac, sailorxbloom, nastume1994, and Guests for reviewing! I'm so happy that you all loved the last chapter! I was kind of worried that you guys would be hesitant about just how much she laid into Harry but I'm glad you enjoyed!**

**I'm going to say this upfront: I know this isn't exactly what you were looking for. I'm giving you hints of what was said with the Wizengamot but whenever I tried to actually write out the full confrontation, it just wouldn't work. I did the best I could with this so I hope you enjoy what I ended up going with. This scene does bring in a character for CA:CW but the city I used was randomly chosen- literally. I asked someone to name a city and that's what they went with. The Russian you see in this chapter was translated using Google Translate so I apologize for any inaccuracies you see.**

**This chapter was beta read by the lovely sailorxbloom. She's so freaking helpful guys that I just can't even find the words!**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_So," Hermione had started, "I heard you lot are having a bit of a population crisis."_

_The dark-haired man dressed in a muggle suit leaned against her chair and smirked, acting as though he didn't have a care in the world despite the many eyes on him. "Have you finally realized that only fucking your cousins isn't the way to go?"_

_Everything had devolved from there. But while the others sitting near him seemed to be enjoying the show, Neville saw beyond the cutting words and the gleeful light in Hermione's eyes._

"_Perhaps if you hadn't spent so much time trying to pretend that the rest of the world didn't exist, you might have realized that sooner. Too bad," she mocked._

_Hermione wasn't okay._

_Neville could see that, even if no one else could. As he watched Hermione- who looked younger than she should be and yet also far older in her eyes than the rest of them combined- happily rip her way through the Wizengamot while they tried to force her to answer their questions, Neville wondered what had happened._

_Someone asked Hermione about the Hogwarts register and the missing muggleborns, making her laughed. "I know it's a strange concept to you, but have you ever considered the idea that maybe the muggleborns decided that staying in Britain wasn't the best thing for them and just left? After all, there's a whole Wizarding World out there that would gladly welcome them into their ranks. And their governments aren't full of bigoted, backwards idiots that are so inbred that it's a miracle they can walk and talk at the same time."_

_He wasn't wondering about her disappearance because he couldn't care less about that. No, Neville was wondering what had happened to push Hermione to her breaking point. Glancing around the room, he knew that no one else would be able to see just how badly Hermione was doing but he could. After all, he'd seen it several times before._

_It was something in her eyes. He'd seen a hint of it during those first few months when they'd started at Hogwarts and Hermione desperately tried to validate her presence, even as everyone else ridiculed and belittled her. In their second year, when she'd frantically searched for the monster attacking muggleborns. Towards the end of their third year, when Harry and Ron and turned their backs on her and she struggled under the weight of too much work for too little reward. Their fourth year, as she'd done all she could to keep Harry alive. In the Department of Mysteries, walking straight into the trap she'd known would be there, and being forced to fight for her life. And finally, in their sixth year, as she'd watched Harry becoming less and less like the boy she knew and grow more into Dumbledore's soldier._

_Neville had stared into her eyes all those times and seen a girl that had been close to reaching the end of the line. Staring at her now though, Neville was scared that maybe she'd finally passed it._

_Hermione smiled brightly at Percy. "It's flattering that you think so highly of me but come now- I know I'm amazing, but even I couldn't possibly be responsible for every bad idea that's popped into your heads during the last decade. You have managed to do what no one else in the history of Wizarding Britain has ever been able to do: start the downfall of Magical Britain. Be proud of yourselves. I know I am."_

_Hermione Granger was always seen as clever and unbreakable; she was a force of nature. But that look in her eyes always said something different. It wasn't the look of someone who was going to keep taking the hits- going to keep getting knocked down and getting right back up. Before, it was the look of someone who was close to reaching a point of no return. Now, it was the look of someone who had been dealt another blow and wasn't going to take it anymore. The look of someone who wasn't worried about getting back up but instead focused on making sure she took you down with her._

_The look of someone who was already dead and just taking care of their unfinished business before going._

_What had happened to make her finally crack? What had caused her to decide to stop fighting and instead focus solely on making sure all her enemies were bleeding out before she went? Neville didn't know, but he wished he did. He wished he could help her, but he knew he couldn't._

_All Neville could do now was watch, and wait, and worry._

* * *

"God," Samuel groaned after they had returned to MACUSA headquarters. "I thought Brits were supposed to be all quiet and stodgy. Why the hell were those people so freaking loud?"

Mia was almost bent double as all the laughter she had been repressing came spilling out. "Did you see their faces?" she finally wheezed. "I thought a few of them were literally going to keel over with fright."

Pepper didn't share in her amusement. "On a scale of one to ten, how bad was that?" she asked Michelle, obviously worried about what might happen to Mia now.

"There is literally not a scale for how bad that was," Michelle answered bluntly. "The British media is going to eat her alive and the Wizengamot will be out for her head."

"You mean the British media that is literally read by a thousand people at most?" Tony interjected. "The majority of which are super old and set to die any minute now? Excuse me while I tremble in fear."

"He's got a point," Rau nodded in agreement. "Wizarding Britain is on the verge of collapse; they're a dumpster fire waiting to happen. I really wouldn't worry about it."

Samuel rounded on his Vice President. "Why do you talk?" he demanded. "For the love of Merlin- we are in public! There are people here!"

"How did you two get elected?!" Pepper questioned, though part of her really wasn't sure she actually wanted to know.

Rau shrugged. "Sam's really charming so the public loves him and I've been instructed that, while in public, that if I have nothing nice to say then I should keep my mouth shut."

"And how did that work out for you?" Tony asked, honestly curious.

"Well, now the public believes that I'm a quiet and stoic kind of man. It's very amusing."

Tears were actually falling down Mia's face as she continued to laugh. But, if she was being honest, Mia didn't actually know why she was laughing anymore. Pepper and Michelle were right- that had gone terribly. She had been bitter and angry and- more than anything- done. Done with pretending that she wasn't angry at what Wizarding Britain had done to them. Done with pretending she hadn't seen the adults in her world turn a blind eye to what Dumbledore had done to them. Done with living her life centered around the ideal of doing what was best for Wizarding Britain and not what was best for her.

Done with pretending she was going to be their hero.

Hermione Granger may have been a hero, but Mia Lokisdottir wasn't. She was a killer and a liar and a thief- she was a villain at worst or an antihero at best. And she wasn't going to pretend she was anything else to the rest of the world and especially not to the Wizarding World. If that was her fate- if that the path she was choosing- then fine.

Straightening up, Mia brushed the tears off her face and smiled reassuringly at Pepper and Tony. She may not be the hero, but she was going to be the best goddamned antihero this world had ever seen.

* * *

"Are you ready for this?" Clint asked as they drove past the sign welcoming them to Davenport.

"Yes," Mia sighed. "I will admit though, when you told me that Karpov was in Iowa, I thought you were lying. What kind of name is 'Davenport'? It's not even a port city!"

Clint rolled his eyes. "You're British- your names aren't any better. Liverpool is also a stupid name for a city."

"The name 'Liverpool' comes from two Old English words- 'lifer' meaning thick or muddy water and pōl meaning pool or creek- and references the water surrounding the city," she informed him.

"That is the most useless piece of information I have ever been given and if Tony was here, he would be mercilessly bullying you."

"If Tony were here, my abundance of important and worthwhile facts would be the least of his concerns- he wouldn't be able to hear anything we were saying over the sound of his own voice berating us for coming here to torture information out of a former HYDRA soldier."

The casual way the younger woman spoke made Clint tense slightly. Sometimes, it was hard for him to remember that this girl wasn't just a muggleborn witch or a billionaire princess; this was the daughter of Loki, raised by the king of tricks and lies. If she really wanted to, she could twist someone's mind and will with just a flick of her fingers and they'd have no way of stopping her. Push her too far, and she would burn you and everything you loved without a second thought or a hint of regret. He may not have seen her do it himself, but Clint knew that it was only a matter of time before the darkness Mia kept tightly bound was going to come out. Especially after what had happened with the Kree. The only thing they could concern themselves with now was just who her attack was going to be aimed at.

"Clint?" Mia softly called, pulling the agent out of his thoughts and back into the car. When she was sure she had his attention, she emotionlessly questioned, "Are you scared?"

_Yes. _Not of her, but for her. Because, even if Mia was to give into her darker instincts one day, she would eventually snap out of it. And when she did- when she woke up to see what she'd done- there truly would be no coming back from it. Her mind would eventually rationalize what happened with the Kree. Hell, it was already rationalizing what she was about to do to Karpov. But what if one day, the person she hurt was Tony? What if it was Steve? "I know I've asked you this before, but you do know what you're doing, right?"

'_You're going to save him. You will slay the HYDRA trapping him- you will murder any who get in your way.'_

"Yes," she answered simply. "I'm going to save a friend."

'_And then afterwards, you're going to have to live with the fact that you have murdered more people than you can count for a man whose hands are also soaked in the blood of the innocents.'_

Mia thought it was strange of Dabria to talk about how she'd have to live with what she'd done. The fight against Thanos promised to be long and arduous. It was going to be the fight of all their lives. It may take a while, but she intended to win her war.

But who said she had any intentions of surviving it?

* * *

"Tony?" Pepper leaned against the frame separating their shared office from the living room. Well, technically it was Mia's office at first, but the younger woman was more than happy to share the space with her brother and Tony had been using it more often than she as of late.

He didn't look at Pepper, just continued to stare down into his glass of whiskey as though it had the answers he was searching for.

"Tony." Moving so quietly that Tony hadn't even noticed, Pepper was kneeling beside him and carefully pulling his glass from his hands. "Talk to me."

"I'm too late, aren't I? I've already… I've already fucked up."

"What do you mean?"

He finally looked at her and Pepper's heart clenched at the agony in Tony's eyes. "Mia. I've… I'm too late. She's hurting and it's not getting better and I just keep making it worse. Because that's what I do- all I ever do is make things worse."

"No," she tried to reassure him. "No, that is absolutely not true."

"Isn't it?" Tony looked away from Pepper, standing up and walking over to one the frames resting on a bookshelf. It was of him and Mia, taken by Bruce of all people when they were all in his lab. Mia had his Iron Man helmet under her arm like a football and was running away from Tony. "She didn't want to talk to Steve," he confessed. "She didn't want to talk to Steve, and I made her. I thought it would help her and I ignored what she wanted, and it literally made her have a panic attack."

Pepper followed him. "You thought you were helping her."

"And I was wrong!" he shouted, stumbling away from the picture and from Pepper. "I didn't help her. She flew through a portal into god-knows-where in space and I didn't help her. She got captured by the Kree and I didn't help her. Fuck, I couldn't even keep her from having a panic attack in our own home- the place she should feel safest in! And now, she's off pulling some dangerous shit- because you and I both know that she's up to something that neither of us would be comfortable with her doing- and trying to hide it from us."

She couldn't keep herself from wincing. Tony was right- Mia had run off with Clint and they both knew that whatever she was doing involved something bad. "She's trying to protect us."

"_I'm the one who's supposed to protect her!_" Pepper jumped back in shock. She'd never heard Tony sound so… desperate. "It is my job to protect her," he whispered, the fight leaving his body. "I'm her brother. I'm supposed to keep her safe. But I'm losing her, Pepper- I can feel it."

"Tony," she whispered, feeling a little helpless. He was in so much pain and, to be honest, so was she. Because Pepper was just as scared as Tony.

"I'm supposed to protect her," Tony repeated. "I'm supposed to keep her safe. And I can't. Nothing I do is good enough. What is the point of being Iron Man if I can't even save my own family?"

Walking over to him, Pepper wrapped her arms around Tony's trembling form and hugged him tightly. She didn't say anything though because she knew that it wouldn't help. No matter what she said, Tony wouldn't be able to understand her. All she could do is help him as best she could and pray that everything would be okay- that all of them would be okay.

* * *

"How do you want to play this?" Clint asked as they got out of the car.

With a flick of her fingers, Mia cast a Notice-Me-Not charm and a misdirection ward on the front of the decrepit house before striding up the sidewalk and sending a blasting hex at the front door.

"Subtle it is," the archer muttered, following her.

When Mia stepped into the house, Karpov was standing in the living room pointing a handgun directly at her. His eyes widened in shock when he saw exactly who had just blown through his door. "You are Mia Stark."

"Really?" she drawled, leaning back on her heels and shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. "I had no idea."

Narrowing his eyes, Karpov demanded, "What do you want?"

"Oh, I want a good many things- not the least of which is your head on a platter. But, before we get to that, I want you to answer a few questions."

Karpov pulled the trigger and Mia didn't bother with moving, just calmly stood and observed Karpov's horror as the bullet hit her square on the forehead before bouncing off. "That was rude," she told him. "Though, I did just break into your home, so perhaps I deserved it."

"Who are you?" he hissed, backing away.

"Didn't we already address that?" Mia frowned.

"You are no Stark- Howard Stark did not have a daughter."

Mia smirked. "And yet, here I stand before you in all my glory."

She sensed Clint stepping into the room behind her. "Are you just going to continue playing with him or are we going to get to the point anytime soon?"

"Spoilsport," she murmured, though her tone was unbothered. The gun Karpov still clutched suddenly disappeared and he found himself on the ground, bound in ropes.

"I prefer 'detail-orientated'," Clint countered. "And I wouldn't have to be if you were being a little less Loki and a little more Carol."

Finally glancing over at the archer, Mia asked, "And just how do you know how Carol would act? You've never seen her in action."

Walking over to the Russian, Clint searched him for any more weapons. "And I'm feeling like I'm not actually seeing you in action either. You just charged in, guns blazing, and started fucking around with this dude in a weird combination of Tony and Steve's styles."

"I'd prefer to think that they're copying me rather than I'm copying them," she sassed.

"They're older than you!"

"That might be true for Tony but, if you don't count the years Steve spent on ice, then I'm technically older than him- mentally at least."

Clint laughed, stepping away from Karpov with the three knives and two other guns he'd found on his person. "If we're basing it off mental age then you'd be older than Steve and Tony combined."

Mia nodded her head in agreement- Clint certainly wasn't wrong.

"Хуй тебе!" Karpov spat. _Fuck you._

Glancing down at the Russian, Mia's lips pulled up into a small smirk as she smoothly retorted, "Учитывая компанию, которую вы держите, мне придется отказаться." _Considering the company you keep, I'll have to refuse._

Staring at her with wide eyes, Clint blurted, "When did you learn Russian?"

"It's an Asgardian ability," she told him, not breaking eye contact with Karpov. "It's called Allspeak and it gives me the ability to speak almost every language."

"So, you just magically get to understand languages while the rest of us have to slave away learning grammar rules and proper pronunciation?" he demanded, outraged. "That is so unfair."

That made Mia look over at him. "My father is currently imprisoned because he was trying to protect me, my mother is off somewhere in the galaxy trying to find every person who could possibly want to harm us- and that list is just as long as you'd imagine it to be- and is rarely able to contact me, my family is currently unaware that the threat of HYDRA is hanging over their heads just waiting for a chance to kill them, the British Wizarding government wants my head on a platter, and I haven't had a full night of sleep in over two weeks. Given all of that, don't you think that the very least I deserve is to not need a translator when interacting with non-English speakers?"

"I mean when you put it like that…"

"I won't tell you anything," Karpov interrupted, snarling in Mia's direction.

"Yes, you will," she told him frankly. "The only thing you have any control of here is how much you'll suffer before I kill you."

Karpov laughed. "Do you expect me to believe that you have the stomach to torture me into speaking?"

"What makes you think that I won't? Because my brother is a hero?" Mia walked forward and knelt downin front of the Russian. "You think because I live with a good man that it makes me a good person too? You're wrong. My brother may be a hero, but I am not. Though, even if I were, I would certainly make an exception for you because _I know what you did to Bucky Barnes._"

In a move too quick for the human eye to see, Mia reached out and pushed hard enough dislocate his shoulder even with the tight ropes keeping him bound and stable. Karpov cried out and Clint swore. "Jesus, Mia!"

Mia ignored him, gripping Karpov's chin and forcing him to look at her. "Where are your records on the Winter Soldier Project?"

He shook his head, chest heaving as he tried to breathe through the pain.

Digging her fingers into the joint, Mia demanded, "The files on the Winter Soldier Project. Where are they?"

"Go to Hell," Karpov rasped.

She didn't want to do it. In Mia's opinion, digging around in another person's mind was almost the equivalent of rape. Legilimency was violating a person's thoughts and memories, taking the most private and intimate parts of themselves and putting it on display for the spellcasters amusement. It was wrong. But then, so was torturing someone to the point that their mind collapses and then creating someone else from the shattered remains.

Locking eyes with Karpov, Mia spat, "You first."

* * *

"_What the fuck was that?!" _Clint exploded as soon as they were in the car.

Mia stared blankly down at the folders and notebook in her lap. Clint was angry and confused and upset but Mia didn't care. She didn't care that she had tortured a man for no other reason than she hated him and because she could. Most importantly, she didn't care if it was a bad thing to do.

"Hey!" Clint shouted. "You need to tell me what's going on, right now! What the hell was all that about and what does it have to do with Bucky Barnes?"

"Bucky Barnes is alive," she answered simply. "He was captured by HYDRA, tortured and brainwashed, and then turned into a super-serumed assassin called the Winter Soldier that they keep on ice when they don't need him. That man was one of the people in charge of the Winter Soldier Project."

He was silent for only a moment before- "Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck _fuck. _Are you telling me that Steve's dead best friend is actually alive and has been for all this time? Fuck. Just fuck. How long have you known? Why didn't you say anything?" Mia was just about to answer him when Clint spoke again. "Oh, shit. You said he's been kept on ice? As in cryogenics? Is he the one you had that freaky magic-bond with?"

For just a split second, Mia could see a metal arm in place of her own. "Yes."

Clint let out a whoosh of air. "You saw it, didn't you? You saw what they did to him, what they turned him into."

_You are to be the new first of HYDRA. _"Yes. And then I figured out everything- how HYDRA infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and who's responsible. Our problem when we were first researching was that we assumed a HYDRA agent somehow managed to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and worked their way through the ranks until they assumed a position of power, which is how we've found a number of HYDRA agents so far. Neither of us thought to consider the possibility that HYDRA has been a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. from the start. In fact, Peggy Carter chose to bring HYDRA's lead scientist into the organization."

There was soft creaking sound as Clint's hand tightened on the steering wheel. "Are you seriously telling me that Captain America's ex-girlfriend just decided to bring a Nazi terrorist into a U.S. government organization, and no one said a goddamned thing?"

"Oh, not just any scientist- she brought in Arnim Zola, the man who originally experimented on Bucky when his regiment was captured in Azzano. Zola was captured on the train that Bucky fell from and Colonel Phillips chose to spare him and hide the fact from Steve. Zola was then imprisoned in America until Peggy Carter had him released."

"So much for loyalty," Clint huffed. "God, this is going to break Steve."

"Steve is the least of our concerns right now," Mia snorted, fingering the red notebook. "My only priority right now is finding and freeing Bucky."

"And don't you think that's something Steve could be helpful with?"

"Honestly? No. If we tell Steve about Bucky, we'll have to tell him about everything. How do you imagine Steve will react if we tell him that his friend has spent the last few decades being tortured and turned into HYDRA's puppet assassin and that one of the people at fault for that is the love of his life?"

Clint sighed. "He'll lose his mind. He'll go off on a tear trying to find Bucky and find an answer to all this that doesn't leave Carter looking like a bad person."

"Yes, and then HYDRA will know that we know about them, their plans, and Bucky. They will then react in two ways: either they'll wake Bucky and send him to kill us because they know Steve will die before he hurts Bucky, or they'll kill Bucky themselves and leave him for us to find in some sure-to-be-scarring way."

Steve wasn't the priority right then- it wasn't about what Steve would want. Mia's only concern right then was what would be best for Bucky. She knew that Steve might never forgive her for hiding this from him but that didn't matter. So long as she saved Bucky, Mia could live with Steve's hatred.

They were leaving the city limits when Clint asked, "We're not going to interrogate Peggy Carter, right? Because I may not have many limits but beating up an old lady is really not something I'm comfortable with."

Giving him a dry look, Mia asked, "Do you really think Peggy Carter would tell us the truth if we did go speak to her? That woman has been trying to hide what she did for decades- the only reason I found out about Zola is through Howard Stark's personal records. Even if we did speak with her, she wouldn't tell us anything. If I was Carter, I would rather die than admit to anyone that I betrayed the man I claimed to love, his brother, and everything I supposedly stood for."

"I don't think she meant for any of this to happen, Mia," he told her softly, not taking his eyes off the road. "I think Carter just made a mistake."

"No, Clint, a mistake was leaving Zola alive and in prison instead of just killing him after he had no more useful information. Carter made a choice and that means everything that Zola went on to do- all the pain, the suffering, and the deaths he caused- are also on her. What happened to Bucky is also her fault."

Clint tensed. "Do you really believe that? Believe in the idea that if you save a life you are responsible for what that life goes on to do?"

Mia took a moment to organize her thoughts before she answered. "I believe that it depends on the situation. If you saved someone from being gunned down in the street for example, you're not then responsible for everything they go on to do in life. However, if you chose to release a deranged criminal from jail and then gave him a position of power within a government organization then yes, what he goes on to do is on you. Peggy didn't free Zola because she believed he was a good person or because she had thought he had changed- she freed him because she was arrogant enough to believe that she could control him, had deluded herself into thinking that Zola was weak and spineless enough that he could be easily bent to her will."

"Don't you think that maybe your emotions are causing you to act a little irrationally right now?"

"Oh, I'm sure that they are. But that doesn't mean I'm wrong, does it?"

* * *

_Carol felt like she was constantly choking on her own pain._

_Her fingers slid into her hair and she tugged sharply, so forcefully that several strands were pulled out. It wasn't enough though- wasn't enough of a physical sensation to dull the emotional pain coursing through her._

_Everything felt like it was falling apart._

_She and Loki were at odds once again. He still resented her for giving up Mia and she didn't blame him for that- couldn't resent him for his anger. Carol deserved every harsh word he threw at her. But, as irrational as it was, part of Carol hated him too. Hated Loki for being the cause of all this heartache- for approaching her in that bar, for charming her into falling into bed with him, for getting her pregnant and being so excited about it that it made her secretly wish she was strong enough to raise their child, and for disappearing for so many years only to reappear in her life with their battered girl in his arms and a desperate plea for her help._

_He made her care. He made her care and she hated him for it because sometimes it felt like caring only ever brought pain._

_Mia- the child who was wanted. Their child. Their little baby girl- who would always be their baby no matter how old she was- was slowly falling apart in front of them and there was nothing they could do. Both Carol and Loki had gone through it- dealt with the pain that was so deep it felt like it was eroding their very soul. She knew that Mia would also have to deal with it one day too but god, if Carol could have prevented it then she would have in a heartbeat._

_There was no going back though. No changing what had happened. So, if Carol couldn't erase what had happened, then all that was left to her was making sure it never happened again. _

_They had let Thanos and Ronin go free for far too long. It was time that they corrected that wrong._

_Her footsteps echoed in the hall as she approached Loki's cell. It was thanks to his magic that the whole of Asgard hadn't become aware of her approach. They also weren't going to become aware of their departure until it was far too late._

"_You ready?"_

_Loki smirked at her, his eyes almost seeming to glow in excitement. "Oh, yes," he purred. "I believe I've spent more than enough time on Asgard; it's high time I reminded everyone what happens when one pits themselves against the God of Mischief."_

_Carol couldn't help smirking. "In that case, let's give this world a show they'll never forget."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on the way out!**


	16. Chapter 16

**(A/N): Welcome back everyone! Hope you all had a nice weekend!**

**Thanks to pphrts, Shorty653, nightgigjo, Sora Loves Rain, adharablack85-2, Freyja-Njorda, icyflamegirl, Catzandbookz8, KittyWolfM, julespuch, and General Mac for reviewing! Your excitement is making me excitement!**

**Alright guys, time for me to be level with you: I'm not doing too well. This past week was really rough and I'm feeling really down. I need to take some time and get my head on straight- I need to work on my mental health. So, I'm going to be taking the month of March off from posting for this story. I promise that, come April 5th I will be back with a new chapter for all of you. But I need to rest right now. And that doesn't mean I won't be writing because I'm actually hoping to update some of my other stories. It just means that I won't dedicate as much time as I usually do to just this story. I'm going to take a step back and just let my muse decide where it wants to go. Thank you in advance for understanding.**

**On a different note, I have also just been made aware that there is a user out there who doesn't like this story and has PM'd at least one reviewer here to harass them for leaving me a positive review. If they contact you, please let me know and go ahead and reach out to Fanfiction and alert them to the problem. This is absolutely unacceptable behavior and I am really pissed off right now. If you don't like my story, then feel free to stop reading. You do not harass my readers just because you don't have a life. You want a story that favors Harry? Go write one yourself. **

**This chapter has characters from _Daredevil, The Punisher, _and _Jessica Jones_. There's also a quote from _Brooklyn 99 _too because it amused me. **

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

**RITA SKEETER DECLARED MISSING**

_**Ministry Has No Leads**_

_As of Thursday, July 18__th__, The Daily Prophet's own Rita Skeeter has been declared missing by the Department of Law Enforcement. Investigations first began into the whereabouts of Miss Skeeter when she did not show up for work on July 12__th__ and all attempts to contact her remained unsuccessful. _

_When asked to comment on the situation, Head Auror, Harry Potter- the vanquisher of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named- simply stated that "the investigation is still on-going, and it would be premature to make any comments at this time."_

_However, sources within the Department claim that Miss Skeeter is believed to be dead and the Ministry have no leads at this time as to who the killer might be. It is also believed that she was taken not long after the Wizengamot convened to speak with the newly resurrected Hermione Granger. While officially all press were was kept from entering the Ministry during the trial- a fact that was vehemently protested by many as being high-handed and suspicious- it is rumored that Miss Skeeter managed to find a way into the trial and was able to observe the proceedings. _

_Hermione Granger's relationship with Miss Skeeter has been described by many as contentious due to Miss Skeeter's reports on the many romantic entanglements had by Hermione Granger attending Hogwarts. One of Hermione Granger's numerous lovers was Auror Potter. _

_Did Hermione Granger have something to do with Rita Skeeter's disappearance? Did Miss Skeeter hear something that she shouldn't and was disposed of? Is Auror Potter covering up the truth in order to protect his former lover? We here at the Daily Prophet promise that we won't stop till we get to the bottom of this._

* * *

"You look terrible," Hermione told Frank as he slid into the seat across from her.

Frank rolled his eyes and she wondered if doing so hurt, considering the two black eyes he had. She'd never had one so she wouldn't know. "Sorry, kid, didn't know this was supposed to be a classy establishment."

Hermione gave him an unimpressed look. "Forgive me if I'm not enjoying the sensation of the waitress watching us and wondering whether or not I'm the one beating you."

He chuckled. "Doubt that's what she's thinking."

"Goodness, Frank, that sounds slightly sexist. Are you trying to imply that I couldn't take you in a fight?"

"No, I'm thinking that you're not exactly inconspicuous. If she's staring at us, it's probably to wonder why a Princess like yourself is slumming with a commoner like me."

It was strange, but Frank seemed slightly more… solid, than he had before. Or perhaps present was the better term. While it might have been nice to think that the change was because Frank finally wasn't the only one who knew the truth about what happened to his family, Hermione knew that that wasn't the case. Instead, it seemed much more likely whatever killing spree Frank had just been on was helping him feel a little less antsy- feel a little less like he was still continually failing his family.

She should probably feel a little less comfortable sipping coffee with what some might consider a serial killer. Then again, she had just tortured a man before blowing him up- a fact she hadn't warned Clint about ahead of time, _that_ he was still angry with her for_-_ so she couldn't really claim the moral high ground.

"You alright?" Frank asked.

Hermione blinked, focusing on the man in front of her and not on the one she'd killed. "Yes, it's just been a long week so far."

Frank grunted. "That so?"

Studying him for a moment, Hermione abruptly decided to see where a bit more honesty got her with this man. Throwing up a privacy charm, she sat back in her seat and told him, "I'm currently working on tracking the movements of a terrorist organization that has infiltrated- at the very least- the Russian and American governments."

The only sign Frank gave of being surprised was the way his eyebrows rose ever-so-slightly, and he blinked. "Okay."

"It's been much more difficult than I thought it'd be," she continued. "I hadn't realized just how stupid the American government is and forgotten how corrupt the Russian one is. Well, forgotten really isn't the right word. More that I simply assumed that the Russian government was too paranoid to be infiltrated as easily as they were."

He was quiet for another long moment before finally sighing and saying, "Don't really know what to say, kid. Kinda wondering why you're wanting to help me when you're currently trying to take down terrorists."

"Because what happened to you is wrong," Hermione told him simply. "And finding and stopping the people who took your family from you is just as important as fighting terrorists."

"... you're something else, kid," Frank finally huffed. "Most people, they wouldn't go near any of this- hunting down gangs and taking out terrorists. You, you go out looking for it. Can't keep yourself from getting dragged down in the shit even knowing exactly what it'll cost you."

"And you're any different?" she challenged. "Most people would have tried to have faith in the system, despite knowing just how flawed it is,but not you. Did you have even a moment of hesitation before you decided that you would hunt down your family's killers yourself? A moment where you thought that maybe you should see what the police are doing, what the media is saying?"

Hermione couldn't help the bitter smile that played on her lips as she watched Frank's jaw clench.

"No, you didn't; you were so surprised when I told you what the police reports said about your family's death because you hadn't bothered checking yourself. And I know that because I understand you- just like you understand why I'm doing what I do."

"You trying to say that we're alike?"

"Aren't we? We're both individuals fighting to right the wrongs we've seen because no one else will. We're both aware that maybe our actions aren't the healthiest way of handling things, but they are the most efficient. And we're both people who should be dead but have somehow managed to survive and can't quite find the will to be grateful for it."

Frank's trigger finger tapped restlessly against his mug. "You looking to die, kid?"

Instead of answering his question, she asked her own. "Do you plan on making it out of this alive, Frank? Or are you hoping to go out in a blaze of glory?"

"There you go again asking questions about the future. You wanna know who the people that usually ask about that are? The ones who plan on having one."

"Oh, there's no need to be worried about me, Frank- I have no doubt that I'll survive whatever comes my way in the near future."

When Frank's eyes finally locked with hers, Hermione felt almost frozen in place. It felt like he was able to see into her very soul- like she was an open book and he was judging every page. But as on-display as he made her feel, Frank was still very much closed off to her. She knew the surface, knew his rage and pain and grief. But once upon a time there was more to him than that, and that man still remained a mystery to her. Was he gone, or just forgotten?

Was that what Tony and Pepper wondered when they looked at her? When they snuck glances are her from the corners of their eyes and whispered about it when she wasn't around, did they wonder about her the way she wondered about Frank?

"What're you gonna do once your war is over?" he asked, still watching her intently. "What will you do once this fight is done?"

Hermione had to look away, turning to stare out the window to the left. "Do our fights ever really end? Or do they just evolve? Because I've been fighting for almost a decade and every time I think one fight is over, another pops up."

Frank didn't have a response to that- after all, it wasn't like she was wrong.

* * *

"I resent you," Mia informed Pepper.

"That's fine by me," Pepper responded, automatically reaching out to smooth out some of the creases in Mia's dress. "Just as long as you're resenting me in heels."

"Why do you hate me?"

Pepper rolled her eyes and ushered Mia to the elevator where Tony was waiting for them.

Looking up from his phone, Tony frowned at Mia. "You were supposed to stall her for longer so that we would arrive just after fashionably late."

Mia sighed. "I tried, but she knew what I was doing and I've been punished for encouraging you by being forced to wear heels."

Tony tutted at her in mock disappointment. "Dishonor. Dishonor on your whole family! Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow."

"You are my family," Mia reminded him as the elevator opened into the parking garage where Happy was waiting with the car.

"Yes, and you have dishonored me by not purposefully making us late enough to this event and ensuring we'll be spending a full two hours with these assholes." Tony held open the car door and gestured for Pepper and Mia to get in.

"Steve says that it's dishonorable to live with a woman when you have declared your intentions to marry her," Mia informed him. "So, if anything, you're dishonoring us by not having put a ring on Pepper's finger before she moved into the tower."

Climbing into the car, Tony stared at Mia in horror. "Why must you hurt me this way?"

"You started it!"

"Children!" Pepper interrupted, though to be honest, she enjoyed listen to them playfully bicker. The two had banded together as siblings almost right from the start and it made her so incredibly happy to know that recent events hadn't come between that.

When they both quieted and stared at her with large, innocent eyes, Pepper gave them her best no-nonsense glare. "We are going to this gala and you are both going to play nice, got it? Mia, you will wear those heels the entire time and you will not tell anyone you are there under protest. Tony, you will not insult people just because you think they're too stupid to catch on to what you're doing and you will not- I repeat, will not- propose to me in any way, shape, or form in the next month. Am I clear?"

"Yes," Tony immediately replied.

"Does that mean I can propose to you?" Mia asked.

Pepper bit her lip hard, desperately trying to hide a laugh. "No, you may not."

Mia flopped back in her seat. "Everything is garbage."

"Stop quoting Brooklyn 99 and sit up straight."

The sound of Mia's phone ringing filled the car and she stared at her purse in confusion before slowly grabbing the bag that Pepper had declared went perfectly with the strapless black dress she had on. Pulling out her StarkPhone, Mia frowned at the name on her screen before answering.

"Harry's House of Wax," she greeted blandly. "It's only creepy because we're men."

"_You can do better than that,"_ Jessica instantly responded.

"I could but then you would expect more out of our relationship and we wouldn't want that." Tony cocked an eyebrow in question but Mia ignored him.

"_And God forbid anyone have expectations for the great Mia Stark," _the PI drawled.

She laughed. "Do you have anything for me?"

"_I did, but then I saw what you did to my door and now I don't know if you deserve this."_

"You mean how I fixed it? There was no glass! You literally just had cardboard covering where the window used to be!"

"_You replaced the entire door!"_

"I'm a Stark! If we're not taking things a step too far then we're not being true to who we really are." Mia smiled as Tony nodded in agreement, even as he kept repeatedly asking her who she was talking to.

"_We are going to have a serious conversation about boundaries later," _Jessica warned.

Turning to look out the window, Mia softly asked, "Did you find the information I requested?"

"_Not exactly. I know how to get into the house, but her security is going to be a bit of a problem. Any chance you can fix it so that it doesn't call the cops the moment I bust the window?"_

"Of course. Just let me know when you plan to head over."

"What's going on?" Tony hissed, trying to get close enough to Mia to hear both sides of the conversation.

Pulling the phone away from her for a moment, Mia whispered back, "None of your business."

"_I plan on going there in about two hours," _Jessica told her. _"Reyes is going to be at the fundraiser tonight so you can make sure to keep her nice and distracted."_

Mia's eyes lit up. "Really? How lovely. I've been hoping for a chance to speak with her."

"_Well, I'm going to take a stab in the dark here and say that that feeling is not mutual. I've been keeping an eye on this chick for days and I'm pretty sure she hates your guts."_

"Not as much as she will by the time I'm done with her." Pepper gave Mia a sharp look, which the younger woman ignored.

"_Whatever you say, Princess. Just text me when it's done."_

"Alright." Ending the call, Mia quickly texted JARVIS a request to disable Reyes' security system.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tony pulling out his phone and rolled her eyes. "That was a PI I have on retainer."

Tony paused in the middle of his text to JARVIS. "We have a PI on retainer?"

"_I _have a PI on retainer. I have no idea if you have one as well; you'll have to ask Pepper."

"Why do you need a PI for?" Tony demanded. "JARVIS can find any information you want and without that pesky ability to betray you and stab you in the back."

Mia sighed, slipping her phone back into her purse. "Because JARVIS can only access electronic files and I'm dealing with an overly paranoid, corrupt DA. Not the brightest woman though, since I have reason to believe she keeps paper copies of the evidence of her misdeeds."

"Rookie move," her brother agreed, sitting back in his seat.

"Wait," Pepper interjected. "Are you having someone break into this woman's home?" When Mia just blinked at her, Pepper groaned. "For the love of God. You can't just hire someone to break into a person's house!"

"Technically, I'm not hiring her to break into a house; she's choosing to do that on her own."

The car slowly coming to a stop outside of the building where the event was taking place kept Pepper from truly responding. "We'll talk about this later," she warned, pasting a smile on her face as Happy came around to open the door.

"Alright, but she'll have already broken into the house by then."

Tony desperately tried to cover his laughter by pretending to cough as he moved to get out of the car and then helped Pepper and Mia out. "You are a beautiful person and nobody deserves you," he told Mia, the laughter still clear in his voice.

She had no response to that, so she said nothing.

* * *

Ducking behind a pillar, Mia pulled out her phone again and skimmed over JARVIS' message. "Damn," she sighed. It seemed Reyes wasn't as incompetent as Mia had thought.

Keeping a paper trail of your sins was a foolish thing to do and Reyes must have known it because her security was the best available on the market. She should have burned all evidence but since she apparently felt she couldn't do that, Reyes had seemingly done her best to make sure no one but herself would be able to access it.

JARVIS had been able to bypass the homes alarm system so that the police wouldn't be contacted in the event of a break-in, but Reyes would still get an alert on her phone the moment Jessica entered the house and when she opened Reyes' safe. Mia had been planning on making a clone of Reyes' phone in the near future, but apparently, she would need to move her time-table up.

"Fancy running into you here."

Tensing, Mia turned to see Billy Russo sidling up to her.

"I could say the same to you. What are you doing here?"

Billy smiled, leaning against the wall opposite her. "I was invited; I donate to this charity too. Plus, my company was hired to do security."

Mia relaxed. "I'd heard that you donated to several charities, but I didn't know this was one of them." The benefit was being held for one of the Stark Foundation's charities assisting victims of domestic abuse.

"It's for a good cause," he told her simply. Nodding towards the phone still clutched in her hand, Billy asked, "Is there a problem?"

"… I may need a no-questions-asked favor." While it was risky bringing Russo into her plan, Mia was banking on the fact that him wanting her to be in his debt would be more than enough reason for him to assist her without question. If she was wrong, it would be easy enough to erase this conversation from his memory.

That thought made her pause. Since when had she become so comfortable with the idea of messing with another's mind that it would be her first response to a potential problem?

Billy's gaze turned sharp. "Depends on what you want me to do. I won't ask questions about why, but I'm going to need to know what exactly it is you need me to do."

Hesitating for a moment, Mia asked, "How against borrowing without the other person knowing are you?"

Eyebrows lifting slightly in surprise, Billy answered, "Depends on who the target is. I do have standards you know."

"Samantha Reyes."

"In that case, I'm all for it."

She gave a huff of laughter. "I take it you're not a fan?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Billy shrugged. "Hey, I'm all for doing whatever it takes to reach your goals. What I'm not okay with is sacrificing innocent people to do it. There was a case a few years back- a woman and her kids were stabbed to death in their home. Their killer was caught by the police a day or two later- he still had the bloody murder weapon on him, that's how stupid this guy is.

"Not even 12 hours later, he's released from custody and the official story the cops are giving is that this woman murdered her kids before killing herself. All evidence of the actual crime was covered up. The guy ends up dead not long after that because he pissed off a gang member but that doesn't change anything. Not in my mind at least."

Mia was stunned. "I… I knew she was corrupt but that's… she helped cover up what he did? Why? What was her motive? What did it get her?"

"I was never able to figure that out," he told her grimly. "The obvious answer would be that he knew something about Reyes that she didn't want anyone else to find out, but I can't figure out what."

"So, she covered up what he did and then arranged for his murder," Mia finished. "Because what else would one do."

"I may not have the strongest moral compass," Billy allowed. "But even I have my lines. And that's one of them."

That… didn't necessarily ring false, but it wasn't completely true either. It was both honest and a lie. So, what did that mean exactly?

"If we're doing this," he started, breaking through Mia's musings. "We should move now. It looks like Reyes is finishing up with the Mayor now."

Taking a deep breath, Mia moved away from the column. "I need her phone. I'll only need it for a minute, but it'll be difficult to get it away from her without her noticing. It's in her clutch now- which has a clasp not a zipper so that's something."

"Do you know what kind of phone it is?" Billy offered her his arm and, once she took it, began to escort her across the room.

"It's an iPhone." If she'd owned a StarkPhone, JARVIS would have been able to access it easily. But no, the woman just had to make things difficult.

"Then we'll have to switch out her phone with mine." He made it sound like it was no big deal, but Mia was surprised that he would be willing to risk his own device just to help her. Then again, it was likely he had multiple phones on him- both work and personal- so maybe it wasn't as much of a risk as it seemed. "The trouble will be trading them back without making her too suspicious."

"Leave that to me."

Stepping around a trio of older gentlemen, Billy and Mia came to a stop in front of Reyes. This was the first time Mia had seen the woman in-person. From the photos she'd seen, Reyes generally kept her light brown hair down in large curls but tonight they were pulled up into a neat bun. She was wearing a form fitting blue dress and a painted-on smile that fell for only a moment when she spotted Mia in front of her before quickly reappearing. "Miss Stark," she greeted. "Mr. Russo."

"Please, call me Billy." Holding out his hand, Billy shook Reyes hand with his usual charming grin.

"Miss Reyes," Mia greeted, voice neutral. "I'm surprised to see you here tonight. I've heard things have been busy in your office."

"Not so busy that I couldn't take the time off for a good cause," Reyes responded easily with a small laugh.

Mia hated her.

"I couldn't agree more." Billy reached over to give the hand Mia still had on his arm a quick, warning squeeze. "So, what cases are you currently working on? I must admit, I've been out of the country for past two weeks and am a little behind on what's going on with the city."

"Not much. We're just dealing with several cases of gang-on-gang violence."

"That's not exactly unusual here, is it?" Mia asked, feigning ignorance. If Reyes still wasn't talking about the Punisher in public then Mia wasn't going to be the one to bring it up. "I must admit, having only lived here for a year, I'm not completely aware of what is and isn't normal for this city, but it seemsthat gang violence is common here."

"It's not uncommon, no," Reyes agreed coolly, taking a sip from her glass of water. "I forgot that you didn't grow up in the States. Where did you spend your childhood?"

"Oh, all over." Mia smiled brightly at the DA and she could see the flash of amusement cross Billy's face out of the corner of her eye. "I believe I am what some might call a child of the world." Or multiple worlds, if they were being exact.

If it wasn't for the fact that she still had a hand on his arm, Mia wouldn't have noticed the way Billy was trembling ever so slightly with suppressed laughter.

"Child of the world, huh?" Reyes repeated, clearly unimpressed. "That must have been a... richly rewarding experience."

"Oh, it was very educational."

Someone bumped into them from behind and Billy stumbled forward, bumping into Reyes and causing her to drop her purse. "I'm so sorry," he apologized, stooping down to grab it and then handing it back to the DA. It took less than 20 seconds and Mia worried for a moment that he hadn't been able to get the phone. But then Billy was next to her again and slipping his arm around her waist. A weight dropped into the pocket of her dress and Mia relaxed.

Pulling her own phone out of her bag, she quickly launched the cloning program she'd downloaded onto it and then slipped her phone into her pocket next to Reyes'.

Mia watched the way Reyes' grip tightened on her bag before relaxing, reassured that everything that was supposed to be in there was. "So, how did you two meet?" she asked.

It took Mia a moment to realize that Reyes thought she and Billy were an item. And, what with the arm Billy still had on her waist, who could really blame her?

"We ran into one another when Billy was coming out of a meeting with Pepper." It wasn't worth the hassle to try and explain that they weren't together- Mia was well aware that no one would believe her anyway.

"How cute," Reyes said, clearly lying. "I'm sure your brother must like the fact that you're dating someone who's dedicated his career to keeping people safe."

The inflection in Reyes' voice told Mia that the DA knew something about Billy's work that she didn't, and Billy stiffened. "Actually, Tony hates me," was all he said, tone light and easy. "I've heard that's the case with most people when it comes to him."

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, alerting Mia that the clone was complete. Pulling her phone out again, she composed a quick text to Jessica. _Give it 15min and you're good to go._

Slipping her phone away, Mia switched it with Reyes', taking the iPhone and sliding it into the hand on her waist as subtly as possible. He took the phone and slowly pulled his hand away from her, reaching into his jacket pocket and pretending to pull the phone from it. With a twitch of her finger, Mia cast a Severing Charm at the seam of Reyes' purse at the same time as she pretended to fall against Billy, making him drop the phone right as the contents of Reyes' purse hit the ground.

"I'm so sorry," she told Billy, kneeling down to grab his actual phone as Reyes' went to grab her things. "I still have trouble with balancing while in heels."

"No problem," he reassured her as Reyes stood back up.

"If you'll excuse me." Reyes turned and hurried off.

After she was out of sight, Mia immediately checked to make sure that JARVIS had been able to ensure that Reyes wasn't alerted when Jessica went into her home. "Impressive," she softly complimented Billy. "You were able to do that so quickly even I couldn't tell when you had made the switch."

"It's a talent," he answered dryly. "Do I want to know why her bag ripped all of a sudden?"

"No, you really don't."

Before he could ask anymore, Tony appeared beside her. "Hey," he greeted, eying Billy suspiciously. "We're leaving now."

"So quickly?" Mia asked. "How'd you manage that?"

"Oh, it wasn't just me- Pepper is apparently very eager to yell at both of us about earlier."

Mia grimaced. "Why does she want to yell at you?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Because I am such a terrible influence, and this is clearly all my fault."

"What did you do?" Billy asked Mia with a small smile.

"None of your business," Tony snapped at him, pulling Mia away. "We are going to discuss your terrible taste the moment we get back to the tower," he muttered to his sister.

"Until next time," she called to Billy, glancing back at him one last time before allowing Tony to tow her out of the room.

* * *

"_There's no sign of them," Fandral spat, sinking into his seat at the table._

_Thor wasn't surprised- he hadn't expected his brother or Carol to be so careless as to leave any trace of them behind._

_Lady Sif raced into the room, eyes wide with horror. "They've taken the Tesseract."_

"_That means they could be anywhere in the galaxy," Volstagg hissed. "Loki must know how to wield it; even if we were to find them, they could disappear again in an instant."_

"_There would not have been time to retrieve it after Loki was released," Hogun murmured. "The alarms were sounded the moment the wards around the cell were broken."_

"_When we were on Earth before," Thor interrupted. "Loki made mention of the fact that there is a rightful owner of the Tesseract who he implied would return to take back what is theirs."_

"_The Tesseract is thousands of years old," Lady Sif argued. "It is an Infinity Stone- there is no rightful owner."_

_Hogun seemed concerned. "You believe Carol to be the one Loki was referring to?"_

"_I am unsure," Thor lied. "It is possible, but I know not why he would think so."_

_In fact, Thor knew it was Lady Carol that Loki was speaking of. He believed that the Tesseract belonged to her. But though it may belong to Carol now, he also knew that his brother considered it their child's birthright._

_Thor knew not what their intentions were by taking the Tesseract from the safety of Asgard but he knew they would not have done so without reason. The only thing he wasn't clear of, is what that reason was._

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	17. Chapter 17

**(A/N): Welcome back everyone! I hope you all are staying healthy and safe. Or, if you are feeling a little under the weather, that you feel better soon! A lot seems to have happened since I've been away, hasn't it?**

**First off, I want to thank Geethika, Beauty Eclipsed, Nikelkm, CassiopeiaKnight, Nessa Kane, nagi92, Sora Loves Rain, Adharablack85-2, crity2re, Rafafalafa, hypercrazyx3, Freyja-Njorda, alexaguamenti, Catzandbookz8, PIPhoenix, General Mac, Famond, Westcoast222, and Guests for reviewing! It really helped me to hear how much you all love this story and that you're enjoying the world I'm creating.**

**Quick note- I had a guest review just ask me about how come Hermione didn't bring up the fact that she's technically not a witch when speaking with the British Wizengamot and therefore their laws don't apply to her or why MACUSA didn't say anything. No one outside of the Avengers and their inner circle of people know that she's not human and that's not a piece of information that she's going to be dropping anytime soon. She's Loki's daughter guys- when she makes that announcement, it's going to be as dramatic as possible. **

**So my month away has done me a world of good. It's become easier to write again and I've had so many ideas about this and my other fics and I've been working on chapters for several of my other stories. Because of that, I've decided that, for the next few months at least, I'm only going to be posting for this story once a month. The first Sunday of each month, I'll post the next chapter. If I start writing more again, I'll consider posting more frequently but this is what I'll be doing for now.**

**All the gratitude in the world to my beta sailorxbloom! She's been such a huge help to me with this story and my others and I'm so lucky to have her help!**

**This chapter has characters from _Daredevil, The Punisher, _and _Jessica Jones. _There's a lot going on in this chapter but hopefully you'll enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Harry, Ron, and Kingsley apparated to Hogwarts gates as soon as they received McGonagall's Patronus. She was already waiting for them on the other side, face drawn and pale._

"_What's wrong?" Harry demanded. It was almost midnight and there was no way McGonagall would have called them at such an hour for anything less than an emergency._

_McGonagall just shook her head, opening the gate for them before turning and hurrying back towards the castle._

"_Blimey," Ron murmured. "I don't think I've ever seen McGonagall this quiet before."_

"_Me neither," agreed Harry. It was unsettling really. McGonagall had always been the unflappable one- it was as though she had seen it all and couldn't be impressed by anything anymore._

_Instead of walking up the steps to the castle, the Headmistress veered off and led them to the edge of the lake. Glancing around, Harry unexpectedly stumbled over something hard in the grass. Once he'd gotten his feet under him again, Harry bent down to search for whatever had tripped him. His fingers closed over a stone and he lifted it close to his face. _

_It was a chunk of white marble. His stomach dropped. Harry knew what this was from._

"_What is it?" Kingsley asked, but Harry ignored him._

_Racing ahead of the others, Harry sprinted to Dumbledore's tomb. Or, more accurately, where it once was._

"_Oh no," he breathed._

_It was completely destroyed- that was the only word that could be used to describe the absolute ruin in front of him. Every side, wall, and edge of the tomb was shattered into pieces no bigger than Harry's fist. _

"_Merlin's beard," Ron swore._

_Kingsley didn't say anything, just stepped forward and began picking through the rubble. "The body's gone," he announced. "There's no trace of it- it must have been taken before the tomb was destroyed."_

_Coming up behind Harry, Ron muttered, "You think it was someone after the wand?"_

_Harry's stomach dropped, but he shook his head. "If that was it, they would have just taken it and left, wouldn't they? Would have left them with the element of surprise. And why would they have taken Dumbledore's body?"_

_Having overheard Harry speaking, Kingsley added, "This attack was clearly done out of anger."_

"_This was done out of malicious rage," Harry agreed. "This isn't just resentment- this is, 'I'm pissed as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore'."_

_Gesturing for Harry to move closer, Kinsley murmured, "Could this have been done by Hermione?"_

_Even though the idea had popped into Harry's head the moment he'd seen the destruction, Harry couldn't help feeling offended on Hermione's behalf. "Hermione wouldn't have done this."_

"_You sure about that? Because she seemed overly-angry at the lot of us the last time we spoke."_

"_Hermione's angry but she's not stupid and she never does anything without reason. Destroying Dumbledore's tomb and stealing the body wouldn't do anything but piss everyone in Britain off even more than they already are- it wouldn't serve a purpose in the long run. If she'd just stolen something from it, then maybe it could have been her. But destroying everything- announcing to the world what happened- is the action of someone who's been bottling up their anger for a long time and is now done doing so and wants the world to know that."_

"_And Hermione doesn't want everyone to know she's angry?" Kingsley asked, clearly unconvinced._

"_Oh no, Hermione wants the world to know she's done with us. But she's hasn't been pretending otherwise. This," Harry tried to come up with the right word to describe the destruction around them before settling on, "This is a taunt. This is someone firing the first spell in a duel. Hermione's already started her war against us. And even if she hadn't, she wouldn't taunt us like this because we aren't worth the time."_

"_Potter's right," McGonagall declared. "Miss Granger wouldn't have done this. What we should be concerned about right now is why someone took it. Stealing a body… it speaks of Dark Magic."_

"_I've heard Hermione's gone pretty dark," Ron muttered, and Harry's temper snapped._

"_If Hermione wanted a body, Ron, then she'd coming for yours! Forget about Hermione. This is about Dumbledore. Who hated him enough to sneak onto the Hogwarts grounds, destroy his tomb, and steal his body?"_

"_Everybody loved Dumbledore," the ginger snorted, clearly peeved at Harry's angry remarks. "Nobody who isn't a Death Eater would do this."_

_Kingsley, on the other hand, seemed troubled. "He may be loved here in Britain but, in other wizarding communities, Albus Dumbledore is almost as reviled as Grindlewald. His obsessions cost many lives and the only sorrow he ever showed for the damage that was done was either regarding his own losses or done in an attempt to manipulate the emotions of others. I myself may have followed him, but I was no stranger to the kind of man Albus truly was."_

"_If you think that many people hate Dumbledore enough to have done this, then how are we supposed to figure out who did?" Ron demanded._

"_We can't," Harry sighed, looking between Kingsley and Professor McGonagall. "If they were able to accomplish this much damage without being caught in the act, then they were probably smart enough to cover their tracks. If we can't find any clues from this, then we're going to have to wait until they strike again. And if they're this angry, they probably won't settle for desecrating a grave next time; they're going to go after a person."_

* * *

**STARK HEIRESS SWOONS OVER NOTORIOUS LADIES MAN**

**Mia's struggle with life in the spotlight**

**Her brother's attempts to keep them apart**

"Told you so," Tony sang.

Mia looked up from the magazine with a picture of her and Billy standing together from the night before on the cover and glowered at her brother. "Did you actually go out and pay for this drivel?"

"Oh, it's not just the gossip rags that are printing that. You've been such a goody-goody and nobody likes that so now everyone's jumping on this."

"He's right," Pepper sighed, shuffling into the room. "We've gotten calls from multiple outlets asking for an official statement about your new relationship with Billy Russo."

"Lovely," Mia rolled her eyes. "And what did you tell them?"

"No comment." At the mutinous look on Mia's face, Pepper explained, "They weren't going to believe it if I told them you and Billy weren't dating. As long as you two don't pull anything like this again, it should be fine."

Happy came striding out of the elevator then and Mia felt like the universe was conspiring against her- which really wasn't fair since she was going to do her best to save it. "Flowers for Mia," he announced, setting down a large bouquet of purple flowers. "Don't worry, I already checked for any explosives or contaminants."

"Yes, because that is what I'm most worried about right now," the brunette sighed.

"Those better be from Steve," Tony warned. "Otherwise we will be tossing them out the window."

Pepper snorted. "Yeah, because that won't catch anyone's attention. I can see the headlines now: Trouble in paradise- Mia Stark receives flowers from another man. Russo falls into a bitter rage."

"Or they'll think that Billy and I got into a fight and he sent flowers as an apology, which I did not accept," Mia offered, searching for a card. "Which would be especially appropriate seeing as how these flowers are from Billy," she sighed, pulling out the card.

As Tony began to rant, Mia flipped open the card and read, _Normally I'd give you my number, but I'm positive you can find it yourself. Thanks for an enjoyable evening._

Plucking the card from Mia's fingers, Pepper glanced over the message. "To be honest, I'm surprised that you went anywhere near Russo last night. I know that he's charming, but there's something… off about him."

"You mean the fact that he gives off the air of a psychopath who still hasn't realized that he's only pretending to feel emotions?"

"Oh, so you've noticed it too?"

Mia shrugged. "It's something in the eyes."

Tony had finally stopped ranting long enough for his brain to comprehend what they were saying. "Wait." He spun on his heel to face the two women. "You think he's a psychopath? Then why the fuck are you still hanging around him?!"

"Curiosity. I want to see how things go."

Happy snorted and Tony leaned down to thump his head on the kitchen island. "How the hell did it get to the point where I'm the most sane person in the room?"

"Spooky, isn't it?" his sister teased, smiling widely.

* * *

"You have everything you need for tonight?" Mia asked, leaning back on the windowsill in Frank's base.

He made a grunting sound that she had come to realize was his version of 'Yes' but didn't look up from the gun he was cleaning.

Mia sighed, glancing over at the plans littering Frank's desk. Tonight was the night he planned on going up against some of the leaders of the Kitchen Irish. Frank didn't plan on actually fighting any of the Irish- he would be positioning himself across the street in an empty building and opening fire on the men from there. She couldn't help worrying though.

"You'll call if you need anything?" she prodded again.

Frank sighed. "Christ. Yeah, kid, I'll call if I need anything. You know this ain't my first rodeo, right?"

"I do know that. I also know how little regard you have for your own safety. At least one of us should be worrying about you."

"That so?" Setting his gun to the side, Frank turned to look directly at Mia. "Does that mean I'm supposed to worry about you since you couldn't give less of a shit about your own safety?"

She shook her head. "Tony and Pepper worry enough for all of us."

"Yeah? How about Billy?" Mia made a face and Frank gave a short bark of laughter. "Saw you guys on a couple of magazine covers."

"Ugh. I thought that I would at least be able to escape that nonsense with you." Tilting her head to the side, Mia asked, "Do you know Billy? I know that you wouldn't waste your time reading any of those magazines, so how did you know his name?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "We served together," he answered shortly. Mia knew there was more to it, so she quietly waited. Finally, Frank whispered, "He was their godfather. My brother."

Mia's stomach dropped. She hadn't expected that. "I…" she struggled to find words. "Why…"

She really hadn't expected this. Hadn't expected the broken father that was Frank to have been so close to a man like Billy. It made her rethink her opinion on the other man. Perhaps the look in his eyes wasn't because he was a bad person but because of loss. Maybe he feigned emotions because it was easier than actually bringing himself to care. Mia could understand that.

Should she tell Frank that? Let him know that his friend didn't seem okay? Or would that just be cruel?

Frank knew what she wasn't asking. "He has a life now. A good one. Doesn't need me getting in the way."

Before now, she'd wondered if she had any more heart to break. Now she knew.

Mia still cared too much.

Without a second thought, she walked over to Frank and slowly- slowly enough to give him time to move if he wanted- pulled him into a hug. Frank tensed and stopped breathing for a moment as Mia rested her cheek on top of his head. When she didn't say anything or make any other movements, Frank gradually relaxed.

How long had it been since Frank had been touched by anything other than violence? Was the last time he'd felt a kind hand been when his family was still alive? Probably, since it wouldn't make sense otherwise. Mia vowed to do what she could to change that. She didn't think she could make the world less cruel, but maybe she could remind Frank that there were still a few kind things out there.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. He didn't say anything in response, just continued to tremble faintly against her. Unable to help herself, Mia continued, "I think he misses you. If that's any consolation. I think he's mourning the loss of you and your family."

Frank pulled away and gruffly responded, "So? Doesn't mean that I should get him pulled into the shit with me."

"And I'm not trying to tell you that you should. All I want is for you to know that you are missed. That there are people out there who still care about you. Even if your friends aren't here beside you, it doesn't mean that you're alone." Mia bit her lip, trying to find the right words. "It's alright to take comfort in that- you're not a terrible person for feeling relieved or happy that you're missed. It's nice to know that you made as big an impact on someone else's life as they did on yours."

He slowly met her gaze. "Don't you go telling him about this, alright?" Frank instructed. "Don't bring Billy into this."

"I won't," Mia promised, glad to be giving a promise she wouldn't have to break.

* * *

"Why are we meeting here?" Mia asked, sitting down across from Jessica. It was a nice, quaint little coffee shop and not at all Jessica's style. If the place didn't serve alcohol, then Jessica wouldn't be sitting down there.

Jessica scowled. "Because I said so."

Now that she was right in front of her, Mia could see the deep bags under Jessica's eyes and the dirty white shirt under her black jacket. Jessica had never seemed to be anywhere close to the word 'fine' in the entire time Mia had known her, but this was… She threw up several charms. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Instead of answering, Jessica tossed a folder on the table. "What the fuck are you doing?" she demanded.

Mia lifted the top of the folder and then immediately let it fall closed. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe deeply a few times in order to quell her nausea. Frank had told her that his family had been shot multiple times but seeing it for herself made it so much more real. That boy couldn't have been more than 10 years old and his body looked almost shredded from the number of bullets that tore through him.

"When you hired me, you said that you thought Samantha Reyes was a corrupt official that had been missed during the reviews after Fisk," Jessica hissed, leaning forward. "I've met Reyes before and yeah, she's a fucking bitch who only cares about making herself look good, but she didn't exactly come across as corrupt. What do I know though? So, when I broke into her house, I was expecting to find paperwork showing she'd been taking bribes or some shit like that- not a file full of pictures of dead kids."

"I'm sorry," Mia told her, genuinely regretful. "I knew that she had some evidence in her place, but I truly hadn't considered the consequences of not informing you about what you might find."

Studying her closely, Jessica finally seemed to decide that the apology was sincere. "I looked up the date that was on some of the paperwork. The only thing reported as happening that day at Central Park was a gang shooting. No civilian casualties were reported."

"Reyes is covering up what happened there for reasons still unknown." Mia took the file and carefully slid it into her bag. "There was a family of four caught up in the crossfire from the gangs and only the father survived. The official reports say that the family were casualties of a drive-by shooting. She tried to have the father killed twice while he was at the hospital and is hunting him still."

Jessica sat back in her chair. "I read the reports. Reyes was apparently in charge of a sting operation to capture a new drug dealer going by the name Blacksmith. The gangs were supposed to meeting up with Blacksmith at the park, but he didn't show, and they got into a shoot-out. She's covering up what happened to that family- the Castle's- in order to save her own ass. The press would skin her alive in they found out what happened."

Mia took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain objective. If what Jessica said was true- and Mia had no reason to doubt her- then she now had even more questions that they needed to find the answers to. "DA's and their offices are not supposed to be in charge of sting operations," Mia started, drumming her fingers on the table. "And, even if they were, she should have cleared the park of any civilians before the meet up time."

"A meeting between a drug lord and three gangs in a public park in broad daylight screams 'trap' to me," Jessica muttered. "Real question is who they were after. Cops? Or the Castle's?" At the questioning look Mia sent her, Jessica snorted. "Cops found out about the meetup because of one of their undercover people heard about it. Blacksmith invited the gangs to meet up and then didn't show. Why? Did he know the cops would be there? Or did he set it up at the park for a reason? Maybe they were supposed to open fire on one another."

"You think the police being there was a coincidence? That the real target was someone else- was the Castle family?"

"The meeting was set right where the Castle family was. They were the only ones, other than several gang members and one cop, who ended up dead. And I have never heard of even a semi-smart drug lord setting up a meeting in the middle of the afternoon in the one of the most famous spots in New York City. Central Park is a pretty safe spot in this city; may have a lot of pick-pocketers and the occasional mugger, but not exactly a place known for shootings. So, why would the Blacksmith want to meet there?"

She was right. Put like that, it didn't make sense to believe that Frank and his family were simply there at the wrong place and time. Frank had told her before that his family went to the park that day and took their blanket down to their spot- as in a place they apparently went regularly. If someone wanted them dead, then the easiest way to disguise that was to make it seem like they were just caught in the crossfire of another crime.

"Frank didn't die though," Mia whispered. "If they wanted all of them dead then he's still a target by the Blacksmith, or whoever made the order."

"Maybe they don't know that." Jessica scooted her chair back. "Reyes covered up the crime. They might think that Frank's dead. Reyes is a shitty person for covering up the crime to save herself, but she might have saved Frank's life. Or, the cop could have been the real target and the Castle's were just collateral, so it doesn't matter that one made it out."

It would be nice and convenient if the officer was who they were after, but those two adjectives had never been applied to any part of her life. Mia knew better.

Perhaps they had thought that Frank was dead before and that was why he wasn't currently a target. But Mia couldn't imagine they still did, not with the press constantly discussing the increasing number of deaths involving members of the Dogs of Hell, the Kitchen Irish, and the Mexican Cartel. Sooner or later, they would come after Frank again. But in order to find out who they were, Mia was going to need to find out why.

* * *

When Frank had called and asked for her to meet him, Mia's mind had immediately jumped to all the possible ways his plans for the Irish could have gone wrong. She wondered how badly he was injured and if she knew enough healing charms to be able to help him. Mia had been meaning to learn more than the handful she had memorized for the Horcrux hunt but now that she had become effectively immortal, they had become less of a priority. As long as she knew enough to be able to heal Tony when he blew himself up, and enough to save a person from certain death, then it was good enough.

Her father would be so disappointed at such lazy thinking.

However, when she met him in front of the entrance to his base, the last thing Mia had expected was to find a pitbull standing next to him.

"Hello," she greeted, eyeing Frank closely for injuries before turning her attention to his companion. There was gauze taped above his eye and on his front left paw. "Who's this?"

"Kitchen Irish had him," Frank grunted. "Used him in a dog fighting ring."

Mia couldn't help smiling. Frank had saved this dog and taken him with him rather than leave him for the police to find. "You're a good man, Frank." He stiffened at the compliment and she sighed. "Are you both alright?"

As per usual, Frank ignored her question. "One of them got away. Can you watch him for me?"

Flicking her eyes between the dog and the man dressed in black from head to toe, Mia realized, "You plan on keeping him, don't you?"

Frank shifted uncomfortably. "Pitbulls have a bad rep," he said defensively. "Any shelter would probably put him down once they figure out he was a fighting dog."

"I didn't say that it was a bad thing," she told him, keeping her tone even.

Kneeling down, Mia studied the dog closely. He had to be in an incredible amount of pain, yet he still kept quiet at Frank's side. She would have expected him to be scared and defensive- like Frank, really- but instead he seemed calm and content. Like he knew he was safe now. "Hello," she greeted him, vague memories of interacting with Hagrid's dog Fang coming back to her.

The dog shuffled forward cautiously, leaning forward a bit to sniff at her. Mia stayed still, allowing him to grow comfortable with her presence. When he moved closer, she carefully held out her hand. "May I see your paw?"

Snorting, Frank told her, "You don't have to be polite. He's still a dog."

"He's not stupid, Frank," she retorted softly. "We don't know how the Irish trained him and what commands he can follow. If they've had him since he was a puppy, then it's likely he's been taught to follow at least basic instructions." Mia may have also been using a bit of magic to allow the dog to more easily understand her. Her father had always had a way with animals, and he'd taught her some of his tricks.

Sitting back on his hind legs, the dog lifted his injured paw and set it lightly in her hand.

"The fuck?" Frank muttered.

Mia grinned. "See. He's very intelligent." Carefully peeling off the bandage, she studied the wound. The jagged holes appeared to be a bite and it seemed deep. "Was he used in a fight tonight? It looks barely healed."

"Seems like it."

Memories of her Care of Magical Creature's studies came to the front of her mind and, without thinking, Mia muttered an animal-friendly healing spell. In seconds, the dog's paw was completely healed and, after jerking his paw back with a soft yip of surprise, the dog was checking over his limb.

She had immediately realized her mistake after she'd done it. Mia had used magic in front of Frank. Her eyes fell closed and she silently cursed. Why had she been so careless? Better yet, _when_ had she become so careless?

While Mia had known that it was likely that Frank would find out about at least some of her abilities if she continued spending time with him, this wasn't how she planned on it happening. How was she going to explain it to him now though?

Instead of looking shocked, confused, scared, angry, or any other reasonable emotion for this situation, Frank just seemed faintly surprised. "So, you're magical," he stated, as though it was nothing. Like her secret was only a step above common.

Mia's jaw dropped. "You know about magic?"

He nodded. "Met a few locals during my tour who had abilities. Don't know much, but I know some."

"And they were… friendly?"

Giving her a look, Frank snapped, "Not everybody over there is a terrorist. Thought you'd be smart enough to know that."

Scowling at him, Mia retorted, "I do know that. However, it's unusual to hear of someone non-magical encountering a witch or wizard and being allowed to keep their memories in a situation other than that they were attacked with magic and miraculously managed to escape."

Relaxing, Frank elaborated, "Helped save a woman and her kid from a couple of assholes. The kid was scared and made one of the guys catch on fire which was weird but hey, everyone had heard of the Hulk by then and Captain America had just come off the ice- standards for unusual were changing. She told me a bit about a magic and that was it. Think she didn't bother doing anything to me because no one would have believed me anyway."

Mia couldn't help chuckling as she straightened up. "You never say what I think you will," she commented with a sigh. "This isn't the place to talk about it though. Before I abscond for the night with your dog, I will need to know his name."

"Doesn't have one."

"That's unacceptable. If you won't name him, I will."

"Fine. I'll come get him tomorrow."

* * *

"_You two need to get your shit together!" Clint hissed, looking back and forth between Loki and Carol._

_The two immortals had contacted the archer to discuss their daughter's latest mission. They knew that she was searching for Bucky and hunting down any HYDRA agents with specific ties to the Winter Soldier Project and that they had finally located Karpov._

"_Excuse me?" Carol snapped, glaring at Clint._

_He was past caring about pissing her off though. "Look, I get that you two are having issues right now. I understand. But your fight is stressing out Mia even if she's pretending like it isn't and it's not okay. You know how much pressure she's under right now and how messed up she is; she doesn't need the fact that you two are fighting about her on top of all that!"_

"_You know nothing about this," Loki sneered. "Do not think that because you are assisting our child it makes you irreplaceable."_

"_You're still on thin ice after that comment about Dumbledore," Carol reminded him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't get cocky now just because we didn't kill you on sight."_

_Clint rolled his eyes. "If you were gonna kill me, you would have done it by now. You know that Mia would be heartbroken if I died and that my death would be the thing to fully tip her over to the dark side."_

_Carol rolled her eyes. "Oh my god. Sometimes I think you're intelligent and then you talk, and I have to reevaluate everything."_

"_Mia is our daughter," Loki reminded him, seeming both proud and tired. "Our powers and abilities run through her veins and guide her hand. She is not meant to fit into your simple and ever-changing definitions of 'good' or 'evil' for she is beyond such descriptors."_

_Throwing his hands in the air, Clint declared, "I understand that you see yourself as a god, Loki, but you're not. You're not a god, Carol's not a god, and Mia is not a god- nobody's a god!"_

"_Maybe not in the traditional, human sense of the word," Carol allowed. "But Mia's as close to one as you'll ever encounter. Her powers and abilities- her life- is beyond your understanding. The more you push her and try to force her to conform to your ideas, the more she's going to push back. And if Mia really put her mind to it, she could shatter ever idea you've ever held and everything you've ever thought you understood about this world."_

_Loki stepped forward and leaned in close to Clint. "I did not involve you in this so you could question every move Mia makes- every choice we make," he told him softly. "You are meant to support and guide Mia as she prepares for the fights that she will be forced to take part in over the coming years. If you are unable to do that, then we have no use for you. Remember that."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	18. Chapter 18

**(A/N): Welcome back guys! Hope you're all staying safe and healthy! I know we're all getting a little antsy with having to stay inside so much but please resist the urge to start pushing boundaries. I know you might be bored but at least you're alive. The healthcare community would be eternally grateful if you didn't go out and put yourself and others in danger.**

**Thanks to pwrmom2, renaid, Geethika, Stephanie MRV (welcome back btw!), NorthernLights25, JeSuisMewmew, Cheryl Grant, Lionhearted21, BlondeBecca28, angel897, Lerris, Nessa Kane, Sora Loves Rain, Adharablack85-2, General Mac, mUmaRhz, crity2re, DOAWOTA, Freyja-Njorda, voldyismyfather, alexaguamenti, PIPhoenix, aiyaiy13, nagi92, Catzandbookz8, Westcoast222, julespuch, hypercrazyx3, and Guests for reviewing! I'm excited to see that some new readers have found this story and I'm glad that you're all enjoying it so much!**

**This chapter is unbetaed because I didn't get it to my beta in a timely fashion. My bad xD Sorry sailorxbloom!**

**This chapter has just has characters from _Daredevil_ in it this time around! There is a joke about American politics though- specifically the 2008 and the 2012 elections and I'm not sorry for that. Don't worry if you don't get it- not that huge of a deal.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Harry's eyes kept flickering around the room, desperately trying to avoid the steady gazes of Luna and Neville. Despite the fact that he had been the one to seek out Luna, Harry felt quite unprepared for the conversation they were about to have- especially since Neville was there visiting. He and Neville had never been as close as they might have been, a fact that Harry did regret; he had always been closer to Hermione and Luna than the rest of them. And considering the fact that Harry was there to talk to Luna about Hermione…_

"_I won't answer if you don't ask," Luna told him. _

_Harry finally met her gaze and couldn't help flinching at the coolness there. She had never looked at him like that before. Then again, it had been years since they'd spoken to one another. He had pushed everyone away after Ginny- Harry couldn't have expected her to welcome him back as though nothing had happened._

_He'd wished she would though._

"_Have you seen Hermione since she's been back?" he asked, already knowing the answer._

"_That's not the right question," she chided him._

_He tried again. "Did you know that she'd changed her name?"_

"_That's also not the right question," Neville murmured._

"_Fine!" Harry snapped. "Why'd she change her name? Why is she running around, not acting like Hermione?"_

"_Partially because she grew up. And partially because she's running," Neville told Harry, as though the answer should have been obvious._

"_Yes, but why?" Harry demanded, exasperated. "Why would she run? Why would she take on a whole new identity?"_

"_Because Hermione Granger failed," he told him simply. "And that's the one thing she's never been good at."_

_Harry had never felt more confused. "What do you mean she failed? Failed at what?"_

_Neville felt a swell of anger at Harry's deliberate ignorance. "At what? At everything! She failed to keep you from doing something stupid again. She failed to see Dumbledore for what he actually was until it was too late. She failed to realize that none of the adults she thought she could trust were on her side because they were either too busy ignoring the facts before their eyes or too deep in Dumbledore's pocket to care about silly things like the obvious. And, most importantly, she failed to be able to save herself when it mattered the most."_

"_That's not tr-"_

"_It doesn't matter what you think," Neville interrupted him. "What matters is that's what Hermione is thinking. And anyone who knew her well would know that." _

"_I knew Hermione!" Harry snapped. "But this… she's not Hermione. She has her face, her voice, her memories, but it's not her!"_

"_Why?" Luna asked. "Because she's not doing what you want?"_

"_No! Because… because Hermione would never be so cruel to me." That thought had been a mantra repeating itself in his mind ever since their meeting at the Ministry._

"_Hermione would never be so cruel to a friend," Neville corrected him. "But you're not one. Not anymore. Maybe not ever."_

"_The articles about you from the last few years have shown you in a terrible light," Luna pointed out calmly when it seemed like Harry was going to continue arguing, sipping from her glass of tea._

"_Yeah, but it's the Daily Prophet," he retorted. "She of all people knows that you can't trust anything you read there."_

_Luna nodded, blinking up at him with her still too-big blue eyes. "That is true."_

"_I just don't understand why Hermione of all people isn't able to see that!" Harry ran a hand through his hair. "They're lies- how could she possibly think otherwise?"_

"_Perhaps because it's easier."_

_Harry froze, staring at Luna in confusion. "Easier?"_

"_Yes. Easier. Perhaps it's easier- less painful- for Hermione to believe that you didn't love her, didn't mourn her, than it is to acknowledge the truth: that you loved her, and you missed her, and you still did nothing."_

* * *

"When you said, 'I'm going after Grotto', you might have also mentioned that you planned on opening fire in a hospital!" Mia hissed when Frank came by the next day to pick up the Pitbull that Mia had decided to name Max. JARVIS really was a godsend- allowing Frank to enter through the side door and bringing him straight to Mia's floor.

Frank shrugged and leaned down to greet Max. "Nobody got hurt."

Mia wanted to bang her head against the wall. This man was almost as frustrating as Tony, something she hadn't thought was possible. "But someone could have been! There were civilians in there and you couldn't have accurately predicted their response. The blond woman that was with Grotto- what if she had moved and been hit?"

"I don't miss," Frank growled.

She snorted. "If that was the case, then Grotto would be dead. But he's not. They have him in police custody now and, if they're smart, they'll be putting him in some sort of protection program and moving him out of the state."

"No, they won't." Straightening, Frank shoved his hands in his pockets and kept his eyes on Max. "You said Reyes is trying to get me, yeah? So I'm betting that she's going to try and use Grotto as bait to lure me out so that she can finally off me. I'll be able to see just how serious she is, and you'll be able to find out just how long her reach is."

For a moment, Mia truly wished that human alcohol had an effect on her because this conversation would be so much easier to deal with if she wasn't sober. Then again, the last thing any of them needed to was another alcoholic in the Stark family. "I thought you were too straight-forward for playing games. What changed?"

Finally meeting her gaze for the first time that day, Frank firmly told her, "I'll do whatever it takes to end this. I thought it was just the gangs but now there's other people involved. I wanna know just how far up the chain this goes."

Mia remained quiet. His need for vengeance was understandable- she'd sympathized with him from the start. And after her conversation with Jessica, Mia was also desperate to know just what it was they were up against. But he still didn't know about any of that. And she wasn't sure when she was going to tell him. Because, if she informed him that he and his family might have been the real target, Mia knew that Frank would blame himself for what happened. He already blamed himself for not being able to protect his family. Learning that he might have been the reason they were killed would destroy Frank and Mia was selfish; she didn't want to lose him.

"I'll keep an eye on Reyes," she finally said. "We'll figure this all out- I promise. But I need you to promise me something in return." Frank eyed her warily. "Promise me that you won't do something stupid. I can't…" Mia fought against the lump in her throat. "I know I can't ask you to do something ridiculous and impossible like not die, but I can at least ask you to not knowingly throw yourself into a situation that you know you won't make it out of alive. Please. I can't help you- I can't do this- if I know that giving you information is going to lead to you dying. I can't have that on my conscious. I can't. So, promise me."

The fact that he didn't immediately respond was a good sign. Frank didn't say things he didn't mean. If he made a promise to her, he would do everything he could to keep it. "I promise I won't go all suicidal on you," Frank finally vowed. "Can't promise more than that."

She almost sagged with the weight of her relief. "That's more than enough."

Frank hummed, his frown saying he was unconvinced, but said nothing else.

"Miss Stark," JARVIS suddenly spoke, causing Frank to jump and start looking around frantically and Max to begin barking loudly.

"It's alright," Mia soothed, bending down to run a hand over Max's back. "It's just JARVIS."

"My apologies," JARVIS told them. "I thought you would like to know that Sir is on his way to see you. The elevator will be arriving in one minute."

Mia swore. "Any chance we can stall him?"

"Unfortunately, no. Sir knows you have a guest here and wants to meet him."

Glancing over at Frank with wide eyes, Mia said, "Just... play along, alright? The last thing we need is for my brother to get a stupid idea into his head."

"Fine," Frank grunted, and then muttered under his breath, "Fucking hate technology."

"The amazingness that is JARVIS simply cannot be captured with such a simple word as technology," Mia chided. "It would be better for you to think of JARVIS as a god rather than as a simple AI. And if you upset him, then we'll find ourselves as sinners in the hands of an angry god."

Frank scoffed. "Wasn't the point of that essay basically that we're all gonna burn in hell anyway no matter how much good we try to do?"

"Yes, that's the one."

The elevator doors opened, and her brother strode out. "Talking about me I see," he announced in lieu of a greeting.

"You calling yourself a sinner?" Frank asked, lips quirking upwards slightly.

"Virtuous people are just losers who've never known a good time," Tony told him before looking down at Max. "Why is there a dog here?" he asked his sister. "You know I don't believe in pets."

"Just because you don't believe in them doesn't mean they're not real," Mia informed him, smiling down at the Pitbull. "This is Max."

"Max?" Tony repeated. "Who names a dog Max?"

"Well, technically, it's Maximus."

Frank stared at her, head tilted slightly to the side and brows furrowed in thought. "From _Tangled_?"

"_You've _seen _Tangled_?" Tony asked him, pointedly looking at the bruises on Frank's face and his cut-up knuckles.

"Why are you here?" Mia asked Tony, giving him a look that said he better have a good answer.

Tony's expression turned serious. "We've got a meeting with Samuel."

Mia frowned. "It's not on the schedule. Is it an emergency?"

"Sounds like it."

"Did you do something?" she questioned.

Her brother glowered at her. "No."

"Alright. Did I do something?"

"You don't know?" Frank asked her, sounding amused.

"I'm a very busy woman," Mia told him. "So many enemies, so little time- it can be hard to keep track of everything. I'm sure you understand."

That pulled a bark of laughter from him. "That I do." Moving to grab the leash that Mia had left on the small table by the elevator, Frank leaned over and hooked it onto Max's collar. "We'll get out of your hair. Thanks for looking after him."

"You're welcome. I'll talk to you later today." Her tone ensured that Frank knew that it wasn't a request.

"If you must," he grumbled. Walking past Tony, Frank nodded. "Stark."

"Stranger," her brother answered, turning to watch as Frank and Max got into the elevator. Once the door was closed, he whirled back to face Mia. "What's really going on?"

"No idea," she answered coolly. "We should get to MACUSA and find out."

* * *

"So," Mia started, leaning back in her seat as she stared at Samuel. "What's this about?"

Clearing his throat, he said, "Why do you think this is about anything? Maybe I just wanted to check in, see how you're doing."

Mia raised an eyebrow and gave him a look that she'd learned from Pepper that had the MACUSA president squirming in his seat. "I might have believed that if it wasn't for the fact that those two are here." She pointed at Ed and Michelle. "Whenever those two show up, it's because you have news and they want to see how I'll react."

Raising her hands, Michelle stated, "In my defense, I am here in my official capacity as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Oh, I'm not," Ed chuckled. "I'm just here because I want to see your reaction."

"You're a terrible Vice-President," Samuel hissed, running a hand through his hair.

"Hey!" Tony chimed in. "He's my favorite vice president!"

"I could be a lot worse," Ed warned, lips twitching as he tried to hide his amusement. "At least I'm not declaring that I can see Russia from outside my window."

"Oh, Merlin," Michelle groaned. "We don't talk about that woman."

"She could have been your vice president," Ed continued, looking at Tony.

"Instead I've now got a pushover with his party leader's hand up his ass using him as a puppet," Tony sighed. "The beauty pageant failure or the puppet. Such great choices."

"We're getting off topic," Mia interrupted. Once the others quieted down, she turned back to Samuel and repeated, "What is this about?"

Samuel sighed. "How aware are you of current events in Wizarding Britain?"

Mia groaned. "Gods, what have they done now?"

"You don't read the papers?" Michelle prodded.

"I generally do but I've been busy the past week." Mia glanced over at Tony, knowing that he also occasionally read _The Daily Prophet _when he wanted to give his brain a break.

Her brother shook his head. "I haven't read it and Pepper must not have either or else she would have told us whatever it is they're saying about you now."

"It's not something they're necessarily saying," Samuel hastily clarified. "It's more like what people are thinking."

"The British wizarding community is thinking? I didn't know they could do that anymore," Mia mocked.

"This is serious," Samuel warned. "Rita Skeeter has gone missing."

Mia waited a moment to see if he was going to say anything else before responding, "That's it? That's what's got you so concerned?"

"Maybe someone finally stepped on her," Tony muttered.

"Yes!" Mia exclaimed, pointing her finger at her brother. "Maybe that happened! Maybe karma is actually real and just!"

"If she had been killed in her animagus form, she would have transformed back," Samuel responded. "You know this!"

Falling back into her chair, Mia sighed. "I know, but is it wrong to hope?"

"Also, isn't that just a great image?" Ed added. "Just imagine: someone stomps on a beetle because it's gross and then bam!"

"They really can't rule that out," Michelle pointed out. "Someone could have stepped on her and then, when she transformed back, panicked. Considering the fact that she only used her animagus form to spy on people, it could be that she was accidentally killed and then whoever she was observing disposed of her in order to protect themselves."

"Or because they knew that trash doesn't deserve a proper burial," Mia hissed to Tony, who nodded in agreement. "Also, let's be honest, it's not likely to have been an accident."

Samuel prodded, "You really don't know what happened to her?"

"On the record- no, I don't. Off the record- if I had done something to her, you would have known about it because it would have been the spectacle of a lifetime."

The President nodded. "Alright, I believe you. Speaking of trash though…"

"I already love where this is headed," Tony declared.

"Do you recognize this?" Samuel asked, opening a folder and sliding it over to her.

Mia glanced down at the photographs and frowned. Beginning to flip through them, she said, "This is Hogwarts."

"Technically, it's the remains of Dumbledore's grave," Ed corrected, studying her closely. "But, since his ridiculously ostentatious tomb was on Hogwarts grounds, I'm going to go ahead and say that you gave the correct answer."

She glared at him for a moment before turning her attention back to Samuel. "What happened? And, more importantly, why are you telling me?"

"The tomb was destroyed, the body was stolen, and there is speculation that you may have had prior knowledge of this crime," Samuel answered slowly, clearly picking and choosing his words.

"They think you stole his body?" Tony demanded, turning to look at his sister. "Do you have a reputation over there for absconding with corpses?"

"Only the fresh ones," Mia answered dryly. "Mummified corpses frighten me."

"The movie freak you out?" he asked, nodding sympathetically. "It's a common fear, don't worry."

Mia blinked at him. "What movie?"

"Wait," Ed joined in, holding up his hand. "You haven't seen _The Mummy_?" When she shook her head, he turned to Tony. "How could you let this happen?"

Samuel tipped his head back to look at the ceiling. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Is that a rhetorical question or do you want an answer?" Michelle asked.

"Alright!" Mia called, raising both her hands up and gesturing for everyone to stop. "We need to stay on topic. And that topic is apparently whether or not I am a body-snatcher."

"Let me be clear," Samuel started. "I do not think that you destroyed Dumbledore's tomb and stole his body. Mostly because that's a lot of work towards someone who's not worth the effort and I know you're busy right now. And I am not the only one who doesn't think it's you- Potter's been pretty vocal about how you are not the culprit."

"Really?" Tony drawled, sharing a glance with his sister. "That's… unsettling."

"It's unimportant," Mia corrected. Meeting Samuel's gaze, she asked, "Do they believe there's a connection between the two crimes?"

"Sure," Samuel nodded. "The connection is that you didn't like either of them."

There was a moment of silence before Mia's temper finally snapped. "THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!"

Ed began to laugh as Mia started to rage. "YOU CANNOT JUST DECIDE TO CONNECT TWO CRIMES TOGETHER SIMPLY BECAUSE BOTH OF THEM ARE TERRIBLE HUMAN BEINGS. THE M.O.'S AREN'T EVEN SIMILAR- ONE OF THEM IS DEAD FOR MERLIN'S SAKE. BODY-SNATCHING AND KIDNAPPING ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS; IT DOESN'T TAKE A GENIUS TO REALIZE THAT. THIS IS A LEVEL OF NONSENSE I COULDN'T EVEN HAVE EVER IMAGINED THAT THEY'D STOOP TO. Mostly because I never imagined that I'd be fortunate enough to live in a world that Rita Skeeter wasn't obnoxiously buzzing around in or that someone would steal Dumbledore's body but still."

Later, once they were back in the car, Tony suggested, "Did either-slash-both of your parents have something to do with it?"

Mia just shook her head. "Give me a moment and I'll ask."

While it was highly unlikely that either of them were involved, Mia couldn't discount the idea without first checking with them. Though, if her parents were involved, it would absolutely be both of them together not just one; destroying the tomb would have been a very Carol thing to do but she never would have stolen a body and stealing a body might be something Loki would do but he wouldn't have made such a mess. Getting rid of Skeeter could have been either of them though since her parents loathed the woman just as much as she did.

Gently nudging against their bond, Mia waited to see if her parents were free.

_What's up, kid? _her mother immediately responded.

_Is Dad there? _Mia asked, hoping she wouldn't have to explain the situation twice.

_I'm here, _he told them. _Is something wrong?_

_That depends on your answer. _She sent them the memory of her conversation about the latest wizarding news and of the photos she'd been shown. _Do either of you know anything about this?_

_No, _Loki finally answered. _The fact that his body was stolen though does not bode well._

_Who the hell steals a body? _Carol wondered, her disgust echoing through the connection. _Don't people who want a body for whatever reason generally go for fresh ones?_

_In most cases, yes, _he told them. _But in this case, I imagine that they chose Dumbledore for a specific reason._

_Necromancy generally requires for a body to be in better condition, _Mia mused. _But very few of those spells actually work, no matter how powerful the sorcerers casting them are. It's likely then that whoever stole Dumbledore's body did so for personal reasons._

_There's hating Dumbledore and there's desecrating his grave and nabbing his corpse, _Carol said.

_And apparently, they think you, daughter, fall into the latter category, _Loki sighed.

_And that I kidnapped Rita Skeeter._

_Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, _Carol advised. _Provided that she doesn't turn up again, I'm going to say that whoever took her is doing everyone a favor._

Mia sighed. _Normally, I would try to argue otherwise but she did accuse me of being a whore when I was 15 simply because I argued with her, knowing how terrible it would be for me. The world is a better place without her in it. I just wish we could be sure that whoever took her is actually doing us a favor and not laying the groundwork for making my life exceedingly difficult._

Carol laughed. _Right, 'cause you're taking the easy road right now. _

* * *

Mia had thought it would be a good idea to spend the afternoon piecing together the Winter Soldier's history instead of worrying about what was happening in Britain or what Frank was doing.

She was wrong.

The Winter Soldier murdered JFK. Of all the information she could have reasonably expected to find, that gem wasn't one. Tony was going to have a fit about that. After he finished throwing a fit about how Mia had been keeping secrets from him, of course. Hopefully she wouldn't be keeping him in the dark for much longer.

In an effort to keep herself focusing on the future instead of dwelling on the past, Mia had started making a list of what would need to be done once Bucky was rescued. One of the first priorities would be finding a way to assist him with retrieving his memories in the least painful way possible. While she had toyed with the idea of trying to do the same thing her parents had when they'd saved her from Bellatrix, Mia had her doubts on how well that would work. Her parents had used magic to create a safe space for Mia to rebuild her mind in. The key thing there was rebuilding, not retrieving. Besides, it was doubtful that Bucky would be comfortable with the idea of someone using magic to poke around in his head since it would essentially be someone using a power he didn't have and couldn't properly counter against going inside his mind and doing things he didn't understand. It would be too many unknowns for him to feel safe with.

So, if magic was out, that left technology. Which, considering the fact that it was technology that was used to erase his memories, would probably also be something that Bucky wasn't entirely comfortable with. At least technology could be explained to him though- could be explained to him using facts and data that he could comprehend. As Tony was one of the smartest men Mia knew- and one of the best when it came to creating new tech- she thought that her brother might be able to invent something that would help Bucky. In order to do that though, she would have to explain everything to him.

She didn't know if she was ready to do that. Mia didn't know if she was ready to give him even a vague overview of the horrors that Bucky had endured. Those were his to tell, not hers. Just because she had experienced them as well, didn't mean that she had any right to them. But Tony wouldn't accept her just telling him that Bucky had been taken by HYDRA and brainwashed into being the Winter Soldier. Tony knew her too well; he would be able to see that she cared and he would want to know why.

He'd want to know why it mattered to her so much. When Clint was brainwashed by the Mind Stone, it had made sense for Mia to be upset because she knew him. But she didn't know Bucky, right? So, why did she care? Then, Tony would start devolving into ridiculous ideas- the kind of ridiculous that only came after an all-night science bender. Was it because he was Steve's BFF? Did she want to return his friend to him as a display of her affection? Or would it be a challenge to Steve, telling him to step up his game if he wanted to impress her?

Once he worked through the crazy though, that's when he'd start getting close to the truth. Did she somehow know Bucky? She had briefly mentioned something about magically time-travelling while at Hogwarts so did she somehow travel into the past and meet Bucky then? Or, was it something else? Did she care because she knew what Bucky had been through? The Mind Stone had shown her his, Steve's, and Bruce's memories, so did it also show her Bucky's?

Gods, it was annoying how intelligent Tony could be when he wasn't being willfully ignorant.

Mia needed to do what was best for Bucky. That was the most important thing here. It didn't matter how uncomfortable talking to Tony would make her feel, because if it would help Bucky then she would do it. Bucky's needs were more important than hers.

Taking the stairs to the labs, Mia spotted Tony tinkering with something in his personal work area. Knocking on the glass door, she waited for him to turn and see her before walking in. "No music?" she asked, closing the door behind her. The silence wasn't a good sign; her brother always had some kind of music playing in the background unless he was working on a project so detailed that he couldn't stand any distractions.

"Nope," he answered lightly, minimizing all the windows he'd been looking at. "What's up? Is this about Steve's birthday? Because I've already got my gift to him figured out and you're not allowed to copy."

"Steve's birthday?" Mia's eyes went wide. "Oh no. I completely forgot."

Tony gaped at her. "Seriously? I thought you would have been all over it, Miss Organized-to-Death."

"Well, I've had a lot going on!" she tried to defend herself. "Don't worry though, I'll think of something."

"Well, if you're not here about that, then what are you here for?" Tony asked.

She had thought she'd prepared herself enough for this, had thought that she was strong enough to ask him what she'd needed to. But, when Mia opened her mouth to tell him about Bucky, nothing came out. It wasn't like the block Dabria had put into her mind to protect her memories from her parents; it was all her. She couldn't do it. She couldn't ask him.

"Mia?" Tony prodded, staring at her with furrowed brows as she stood in front of him, opening and closing her mouth without saying a word.

Perhaps she would have been better off simply sending Tony a letter explaining the problem. A letter charmed to automatically burn itself after being read. That way Tony would have no proof if he wanted to tell anyone what she'd told him.

Or proof of what a coward she actually was. That was the real reason.

Tony looked a little concerned now. "Should I guess?" he asked. "Is this a thing where I'm just supposed to know what the problem is? Because I don't. I think Pepper is better at that game because she's a terrifyingly amazing human being who I'm pretty sure can read minds. Or maybe Bruce? Bruce also isn't the worst at guessing. He's around here somewhere. I think. Possibly. Depends on what day it is. Is it still Tuesday? I thought it was Tuesday. JARVIS, it's Tuesday, right?"

"No, Sir," the AI seemed to sigh. "It's Wednesday."

"Pssh." Tony waved him off. "I'm only a day off so it still counts as being right."

"If you say so, Sir."

"How did you do it?" Mia blurted out. "After everything, how did you learn to be okay again?"

That was _not _the question she was supposed to be asking him. It was a question she had never, ever planned on asking and yet there she was, asking it. Mia didn't know why, but she was pretty sure it was all Clint's fault and she made a mental note to punch the archer the next time she saw him.

Her brother was gaping at her. "I… what? I don't… what?"

This was such a mistake. Mia whirled around to race out, but the door locked before she could escape. "Traitor," she spat at the ceiling.

"This is for your own good," JARVIS reassured her.

Mia glared. "You do realize I can just blast my way out of here, don't you?"

"I didn't." She froze. "I didn't learn how to be okay after what happened in the Middle East. I learned how to be Iron Man. I learned about what had been happening in my company and worked to fix it. I learned how to love Pepper. But I didn't learn how to be okay." Mia felt Tony's hand on her shoulder and didn't fight as he pulled her around to face him.

"I know that's not the answer you're looking for," Tony continued. "But that's all I got. It didn't… you can't just snap your fingers and suddenly be all better. Being Iron Man helped me for a while but, when I found out I was dying, it just… didn't anymore. But then I realized how important Pepper was to me and I wanted to become someone worthy of being with her. It also helped that she won't put up with my shit."

She frowned. "So, you finally became alright because of Pepper?" Mia didn't like that. She didn't want to finally be better because of a person. Not only was it placing too much responsibility on another human being, but it was also codependent. What happened if the other person decided to leave? What if your relationship with them wasn't going well and you needed to leave them, but you couldn't because you'd used them as a crutch for so long that you couldn't stand on your own?

If Pepper left Tony, who would he be okay for then?

"I can see your mind whirling away." Tony slowly reached out and poked her forehead. "Stop it." Stepping back, her brother gave a small half-smile. "You're not me, Mia. You don't have to do what I did- don't be me. Be you." With that, he turned around and walked back to his station. "I've always liked you better than me anyway."

Mia didn't even realize that she was crying until she looked down and saw a tear hit the ground.

* * *

_Carol rounded on Loki the moment Clint disappeared. "Alright, what the hell is going on?"_

_Loki met her gaze with an almost bored expression. "I'm not sure what you mean."_

"_Mia," she hissed. "Forget what Clint said about her going 'dark' because we both know that's bullshit but he's not wrong about something being up with her."_

"_There is nothing wrong with our daughter," Loki told her dismissively, starting to turn away._

_"Hey!" Carol marched over and grabbed his arm, forcing him to face her again. "You don't get to do that. I get that you're still mad at me and believe me, I'm not real happy with you either, but we agreed long ago that we wouldn't let our problems get in the way of parenting our kid. If there's something going on with her then you need to tell me." When Loki remained silent, she pressed on. "We don't keep secrets, remember? Not when it comes to Mia."_

_He sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, Carol made several extremely good points. Also, if he didn't tell her, she would go looking on her own and that didn't bode well for them. "The problem is that our daughter still hasn't managed to shake off her bleeding-heart tendencies."_

_Carol folded her arms across her chest. "Explain."_

"_She's out of balance," he told her simply. "Before, our daughter lived her life balancing her emotionless, logical tendencies with her need to have feelings."_

"_You can say the word 'compassion'- saying it won't infect you with it."_

"_I meant what I said. After all, her need for vengeance is just as deep as her empathetic inclinations."_

_She couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. "You know she gets that from you, right?"_

_Loki's expression continued to remain blank. "She's out of balance," he repeated. "Mia's no longer use logic and emotions in equal measure when dealing with a situation- she's simply swinging wildly from one to the other depending on the setting. She's using cold logic to deal with the threat of HYDRA but is allowing her emotions to cloud her judgement when it comes to that of Frank Castle's situation."_

_Carol considered his explanation. "That's why she's so insistent on no one but Clint knowing about HYDRA and Bucky. Because logically, it'll be easier for her to handle it on her own without having to worry about pesky things like legalities and people's emotions when they find out someone they know is playing for the other team. But, if she were to take emotions into account, then Mia would know that the consequences of leaving everyone she knows in the dark- of leaving Steve in the dark- are going to be bad. It might even irreparably damage their relationship. Logically, it's a sacrifice she's willing to make in order to destroy HYDRA. Emotionally though, might be a whole other story."_

"_Not exactly," Loki disputed. "She knows the consequences of keeping silent- she knows how it may damage her relationships. But Mia has come to the logical conclusion that stopping HYDRA and saving Barnes is more important than ensuring that the soldier continues to favor her, whereas before she would have tried to find a way of doing things that ensures everyone gets what they want."_

"_Her imbalance… it's like me when I was suppressing my emotions," Carol stated quietly. She would never forget how off she felt during that time, how miserable and unsteady she was._

"_Yes, like you. Except worse." He tried to find the words to explain the situation to her. "She is our daughter, and while you are generally level-headed and balanced unless truly provoked, my emotions tend to be wilder. A trait that Mia seems to have inherited. It's highly likely that, until her soul becomes settled again, her magic will grow just as out of control as her emotions."_

"_Like 'making things appear without trying' out of control or 'violent explosions, burn this place to the ground' out of control?"_

"_The latter."_

_Carol sighed. "And let me guess- there's nothing we can really do to help her with this."_

"_Unfortunately." Loki didn't like it any more than Carol did but the truth was, there wasn't much more they could do to help their daughter. They couldn't force her to accept everything that had happened and come to terms with what she would need to do in the future. And they also couldn't force her to accept their help, or anyone else's for that matter. The only person who could do that was her._

_Until Mia wanted to save herself, there was no way for them to help her._

* * *

**Please leave a review on the way out!**


	19. Chapter 19

**(A/N): Hey guys! Hope you all are doing good and staying safe! I know there is so much going on right now (understatement of the century) but please make sure you're taking care of yourselves both mentally and physically! I don't know if anyone's told you this recently but it is okay to take some time for yourself. It is okay to take a break and read light fluffy stories or watch mindless tv and not think about all the terrible things that are happening. It does not make you a bad person to ignore everything for a bit. You're allowed to prioritize yourself. In fact, I encourage you to do so because you're amazing and I'm guessing that you probably deserve a break.**

**Thanks to CassiopeiaKnight, Slytherclaw Black, moozga, alexaguamenti, PIPhoenix, Westcoast222, JazmineLovejoy, Sora Loves Rain, sailorxbloom, Adharablack85-2, pwrmom2, Tashtasticc, NorthernLights25, Stephanie MRV, and guests for reviewing! I'm glad so many of you appreciated the conversation between Harry, Neville, and Luna because it's one of my favorite scenes. That last line said by Luna was one I had been waiting for the perfect time to use. I'm also happy to know that you guys are loving MACUSA! Samuel and Ed are two of my favorite characters to write simply because Ed is just the vice president and therefore doesn't have to be great and Samuel just does not understand how he got to this point and it's beautiful.**

**This chapter was just betaed by sailorxbloom because I got it to her late (again) but she managed to get it edited just in time because she's amazing and I am unworthy. **

**I'm going to be honest with you guys, I'm not sure I really love this chapter. There is some good stuff in there and it's definitely moving things along storywise and setting things up for the next chapter but... I don't know. I guess I'll just have to let you all be the judge of it.**

**This chapter has characters from _Daredevil _and _The Punisher_, along with reference to a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche- "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_I've got a bit of gossip for you," Hermione announced, sweeping into Malfoy's office._

_He blinked up at her as she perched on the edge of his desk. "This is France," he stated blankly. "Why are you in France? Why are you in my office? I thought the goal was to try and never see one another again. What happened to our goal?"_

_Hermione smiled brightly at him. "That was our goal. I, however, am putting a pause on that because I need to speak with you."_

"_About what?"_

"_Did you hear about what happened at Hogwarts a week ago?"_

"_You mean the smash-and-grab at Dumbledore's tomb?" he sneered. "Yes, I'd heard. Everyone's heard. What kind of gossip is that?"_

"_Did you hear that I'm the number one suspect?" she asked._

_His eyebrows rose in surprise. "That, I did not," Draco answered slowly. "What in the name of Merlin gave them that idea?"_

_Hermione snorted. "I expect my existence did the trick."_

"_That is ridiculous. Which isn't surprising given that this is the British Ministry we're talking about. But Potter's a much more likely culprit than you are, considering that business with Pettigrew's memorial."_

"_Memorial?" Hermione repeated, intrigued. "I haven't heard about that. What did he do?"_

"_Destroyed it, obviously," Draco told her. "Not too long after the Battle of Hogwarts. I heard that he got completely wasted and then demolished Pettigrew's tombstone and memorial in a fit of rage because he blamed him for everyone's deaths. Which, I suppose, isn't entirely wrong."_

_She fell silent for a moment. "I'm assuming he made some kind of deal in order to keep this out of the papers?"_

_Draco nodded. "Of course. Skeeter would have been the only one brave enough to write about something like that so soon after the Dark Lord's fall. I don't know the exact terms but, from what I was able to gather, Potter agreed to give Skeeter exclusive access as long as she didn't go after any stories he didn't want told."_

"_Well, it worked so well the last time he made a deal with her."_

"_You mean it worked so well the last time __you__ made a deal with her. After all, you were the one in charge back then, were you not?"_

"_That wasn't a deal, Malfoy- that was blackmail. Two very different things. Regardless, I doubt Harry was the one who destroyed the tomb." Even after everything, Harry would never be able to shake off the amount of respect he had for the man he deemed as responsible for spiriting him away from the Dursley's. Never mind the fact that he was the one to toss Harry there in the first place._

_Cocking an eyebrow, Draco asked, "Are you sure about that?"_

"_Harry would never disrespect Dumbledore like that."_

"_Yes, but the Dark Lord would." Hermione's obvious surprise caused him to laugh. "Come now, Granger, don't tell me you've never been concerned. The Dark Lord was inside Potter's head for years. Try as we might to pretend otherwise, that level of darkness isn't something that just disappeared without a trace once the Dark Lord was gone. Potter grew up with it- it shaped the very core of his being. That darkness slithered its way in to every part of him. And it changed him. There was a reason Dumbledore avoided him during our Fifth Year and it wasn't just because he was worried about Potter learning something and having that information funneled back to the Dark Lord. He managed to pretend otherwise during our Sixth Year because he was dying and it was 'for the greater good' but that fear never went away."_

"_How do you know about that?" she demanded. "And why are you telling me this?"_

"_Snape," he answered, as if it should have been obvious. "And I'm telling you this because you seem to be under the impression that Potter is simply a weak-willed fool who is unable to do anything for himself. And you're right. But everyone has a breaking point and when Potter snaps, it won't be like his teenage tantrums. He's been gazing into the abyss his entire life, Granger. And we all know who's been gazing back."_

* * *

When Mia had requested that Jessica try and find any friends from Frank's past, she hadn't expected a man quite like Curtis Hoyle.

Hoyle was a former Navy corpsman who lost his leg while serving in Iraq. After being discharged, he returned to New York City and took a job as an insurance salesman and started a support group for U.S. veterans that took place twice a week at a local church. He was dedicated to helping as many people as he could, despite the many blows he himself had been dealt.

Jessica and JARVIS' combined research told the story of a man who had been through hell but hadn't let it break him. The story of a man still trying to bring some light to a world that had never seemed darker.

The story of a good man.

Mia almost changed her mind about meeting him. But this was for Frank. She was doing this to help Frank.

Keeping that thought in mind, Mia made her way over to St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Monday night. Making sure to time her arrival for 15 minutes after the end of the support group meeting, she waited for the last few individuals lingering outside the church doors to wander off before hurrying inside and down the stairs to the basement meeting room.

He was putting away several folding chairs when she spotted him from the doorway. "Mr. Hoyle?"

Curtis spun around and Mia realized that he hadn't heard her coming. "Sorry," she apologized, pushing aside her now-customary hood so that he could see her clearly. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Eyes widening at the sight of her, Curtis slowly relaxed. "It's alright. I just wasn't expecting anyone else to be down here. Can I help you with something?"

She walked further into the room. "Yes, I'm here to speak with you about a mutual friend of ours."

He grinned. "Damn, so the rumors are true."

"What rumors?" Mia asked sharply. How could he have known about Frank? Did Frank actually keep in touch with him? Or were there people aware of where Frank was and the fact that they were meeting?

Frowning at her reaction, Curtis slowly answered, "You and Billy? Word is that you two are dating now."

"Oh." That made sense. "Actually, I wanted to speak about a different friend- Frank Castle."

Curtis was good. He didn't visibly react at all, but Mia could tell that he was on edge again from the way his knees bent slightly and the almost imperceptible narrowing of his eyes. "You know Frank."

"We met a few weeks ago," she told him, moving to sit down on one of the chairs still left out and gesturing from him to do the same. "I was walking in Hell's Kitchen one evening and ran into a few troublesome individuals. Frank stepped in to assist me and then insisted on walking me home- he said that his 'old lady' would have his head if he'd let me go off by myself."

Sinking down into his own chair, Curtis continued to study her intently. "Yeah, that sounds like Frank."

Mia's lip twitched. "How long has it been since you last saw him?"

"A while." They sat in silence for a moment before he finally asked, "Why are you here?"

"Because I want to help Frank," she answered slowly. "But I don't... I've found myself in a situation where I don't know what to. I don't know how to help him, and I'm scared that I might do something that will only make the situation worse for him and he doesn't deserve that."

"So why come to me? Why not Billy?"

"Because Frank doesn't want me to tell Billy about him. But he never said anything about speaking with you."

Curtis hummed. "How'd you even find me? If Frank doesn't want you talking to Billy, then I doubt he offered up the names of any of his other friends."

"I hired a PI," Mia stated bluntly. "She's been looking into Frank's background in order to find out who's targeting him."

"Targeting him?" Curtis repeated, showing concern for the first time. "I thought what happened to his family was just an accident- wrong place, wrong time kind of deal."

"Are you referring the official story about the drive-by shooting? Or are you referring to the massacre in Central Park that the D.A.'s office is desperately trying to cover up?"

Eyes flashing, Curtis demanded, "What cover up? What the hell happened to Frank's family?"

Mia told him everything. What happened in the park that day, how and why Reyes covered it up, what Jessica had managed to find.

"We believe that what happened to Frank and his family wasn't a coincidence. We believe the meet was planned for that time and place specifically because that's where the Castle family would be and anyone who knew their routine would know that. They were all supposed to die- Frank should, technically, be dead."

"He was shot?" Curtis asked quietly.

"In the head. Execution style. He somehow managed to survive but now Reyes is trying her best to have him killed so that he can't ruin her precious career." Even after realizing that someone was deliberating targeting Frank, Mia couldn't get past her bitter hatred towards Reyes. Only a monster would believe that their career was more important than the lives of five people- more valuable than a little boy and girl who hadn't even had the chance to live yet. Mia was going to make sure that Frank was able to avenge his family, but she was still going to burn Reyes and everything she held dear to the ground.

Curtis sat quietly for a moment, elbows on his knees and head hanging downwards. "Why are you here?" he asked again. "Why come to me?"

Tears started to well in Mia's eyes and she desperately tried to blink them back. "I don't know what to do," she admitted, voice breaking a bit. "I don't know what I should tell Frank. We don't know why they were targeted or who was targeting them. If I go to Frank now and tell him everything before we know that, I'm scared that he's going to do something reckless; I don't think he'll be able to live with the guilt. But what if I wait to tell him, and that just makes it worse? What if he feels like I betrayed him? I don't want to hurt him, and I don't... I don't want to lose him. I care."

His head snapped up and studied her with a piercing gaze not all that different from Frank's. "You really do care." It wasn't a question because Curtis could clearly see it in her eyes.

When she'd first walked in, Curtis hadn't known what to expect from her. She was _Mia Stark_\- America's darling. The Golden Girl. The girl who threw herself into charities and non-profit organizations dedicated to helping those who needed it the most.

Before now, he hadn't given much thought about what kind of the person the other Stark would be. Tony was known for being an obnoxious, loud, self-obsessed asshole. If he had thought about it, Curtis probably would have assumed that his sister was similar and was just playing nice right now in order to win the public's approval. Staring at the girl sitting in front of him now though, Curtis knew that that wasn't the case here.

He spent his days working with insurance, but Curtis spent his nights helping veterans. And the look in Mia Stark's eyes right now? It was the same look he'd seen in the people who came to his meetings. The look of someone who had been through hell and was stilling trying to figure out how to claw their way out of it. It was the last look he would have ever expected to see in the eyes of someone like Mia.

She'd first appeared before the world not long after Curtis had gotten back from Afghanistan, so he hadn't exactly cared too much about her story. All he could really remember hearing was that Mia Stark had been hidden from the public eye all those years in order to ensure she could grow up as safe and normal as possible. But looking at her now, Curtis had to wonder what else there was to that story. How did Mia Stark have the eyes of a soldier? And why?

Regardless of all that though, it was clear that she really did want to help Frank. Maybe she had a hidden agenda- Curtis' didn't think she did but better safe than sorry- right now, however, Mia was his best bet of being able to help his friend. Because if someone really was trying to come after Frank, then they were going to have to get through him.

Curtis might have been discharged from the military, but he still lived by the code- they leave no man behind.

"If I help you, then I'm with you all the way," he warned. "I'm not just going to give you information and then sit back and do nothing. Frank's my brother- if someone is after him, if someone targeted him and his family, then I'm going with you to find the son-of-a-bitch who ordered the hit and kill him and every piece of shit helping him."

Mia smiled faintly. "I wouldn't expect anything less." Her smile disappeared. "You can't tell Billy. I'll… whatever you think is best to do about Frank, I'll go along with. But he doesn't want Billy to know and I'm going to respect that."

"Pretty sure he didn't want me to know either," he snorted. "But, if that's what he wants, then that's what we do. God knows that the very least Frank deserves is people respecting his boundaries."

"He has the right to say no," Mia agreed, but the fierceness in her tone made Curtis feel like she wasn't just talking about Frank anymore.

"That he does. In the meantime, I personally think that you shouldn't tell Frank about any of this. If he finds out about this before we're able to figure out what's going on and why, he's sure to do something stupid."

She nodded in agreement, feeling relieved to finally have someone else making a decision. "That seems reasonable to me. We can all keep trying to gather information and then we'll go to Frank once we've done as much as we can."

"Is your PI still looking into it?" Curtis asked.

"She is. While I do have the ability to find out quite a bit of information on my own, Jessica's able to go places I am not. She's also able to move about with more anonymity than I am." Since Mia could easily disguise herself when needed, the problem lay more in lack of free time than ability. She was slowly venturing back into the life she'd led before and her work kept her busy most days and evenings.

Curtis nodded. "So, do you think this is personal? Or is it something to do with Frank's work in the military?"

"Military," she immediately answered. Mia had given it some thought and come to the conclusion that Frank's Marine Corp's history was likely where the answers they searched for lay. "I'm doing my own research, but it would be helpful to speak with someone who was actually there with him. They might have a better idea of who might want Frank dead than any official records I can get my hands on."

Curtis sighed. "I get what you're saying, but the person who was closest to Frank out there was Billy."

Biting her lip, Mia asked, "Is there any way you can ask him about what was going on over there before Frank came home? Without making him suspicious?"

"No," he answered honestly. "I see Billy pretty regularly, but we don't talk all that much about what went on over there after I left. We're supposed to meet up later this week though, so I'll try to get something out of him."

"Good luck. I barely know Billy, but even I can see that he's not the most open of people."

"And I barely know you, but I can already tell that you're not an open book yourself," Curtis retorted. "Which is a fine by me- the most interesting people rarely are."

* * *

"Tony," Mia called as she strode into the kitchen. "Is 'indigent' a politically correct term?"

Glancing up from his tablet, Tony stared at her in horror. "… I don't know. Why would you ask _me _that instead of Pepper? Always ask Pepper first. That's the rule."

Pepper moved to pour Mia a cup of coffee. "Why are you asking?"

"I heard Reyes use the term and I couldn't tell," Mia explained, padding over to standing next to Pepper and accepting the mug with a grateful smile.

"What's the context?" she questioned.

"She was speaking with a defense attorney and told him, 'If, God willing, your firm doesn't collapse under the weight of the chickens and the fruit baskets you've been collecting from your indigent clientele, there will come a time when you need to ask a favor from the District Attorney's office. And depending on how this situation is resolved, that favor will either be forthcoming or permanently withheld'. I know what the word means but am unsure of how appropriate her usage of it is."

"That woman sounds just delightful," Tony commented dryly. "She must be a pleasure to be around."

"It's Samantha Reyes."

"Oh, that cockroach," he grimaced. "She's the kind of person that is so terrible that, when she does inevitably die alone, no one will find the body until it's fully decomposed because that's how long it'll take for anyone to notice she's not around."

"Wow," Pepper whistled. "That's a level of harshness I wasn't expecting."

"I like it," Mia decided, grinning at her brother. "Your wit is one of the reasons why you're my favorite."

"If I was really your favorite, you'd stop stealing my shit," he retorted.

Mia laughed. "The moment I stop stealing your things is the moment you should be afraid." Turning back to Pepper, Mia prompted, "So, is Reyes being truly heinous or attempting to be condescending?"

Pepper sighed. "It's not the worst word she could have used but it's definitely not kind so I'm going to say she was being a bit of both."

"That's what I assumed but it's nice to have confirmation."

"What'd the guy do when she said that to him?" Tony asked.

"He called the State's Attorney office and reminded her that local D.A.'s have no authority over witness protection agreements so it would be best for him to just go through them directly, despite the fact that he was sure they would be just as 'douchey' as Reyes because at least they could follow through with their threats." Mia was thankful to have that moment on camera because Reye's expression had been priceless.

Tony immediately turned to Pepper. "I want him."

"You don't even know his name," Pepper responded with a sigh.

"Oh, come on!" Tony whined. "You can't tell me that you wouldn't love to have whoever that guy is on our legal team based on that alone!"

"I can't," she agreed. "But at least I have the good sense to wait to say that until I've learned his name and had JARVIS run a background check."

"His name is Franklin Nelson," Mia interjected. "His firm is called Nelson & Murdock. He goes by the name Foggy."

Pepper glanced over at her. "Isn't that the firm that worked on the Fisk case? They were all over the news when that went down."

"Yes," she grumbled. "Though I only had the… pleasure, of working with Mr. Murdock."

Frowning, Tony asked, "Something wrong with Murdock?"

Mia just shrugged. "Nothing that I can try and explain out-loud without sounding like a truly terrible person."

"Hello! You're talking to me!" her brother reminded her. "No matter what you say, I can guarantee I've said worse."

Silently acknowledging that Tony probably wasn't wrong, Mia slowly asked, "Have you ever met someone with a disability and had the thought that it wasn't as bad as they pretended it to be?"

Tony and Pepper both gapped at her. "Isn't Murdock the blind one?" Pepper finally spluttered. "Isn't that what they were saying in all the papers and on the news?"

"You think a blind guy is faking it?!" Tony added.

Mia raised her hands. "I know how it sounds! But I just can't help the feeling that there's something… off about him. When I briefly met with him, he fumbled to even find his water glass- which I know is not all the odd. Yet, two minutes later, we were walking down the hall and he managed to move out of the way in order to avoid colliding with an older gentleman who was just turning the corner. And not coincidentally moved; he dodged! He dodged out of the way of the man even though he supposedly couldn't see him! I didn't even see the man coming and I'm not blind! And then, 30 seconds later, he moved out of the way of a door that had swung open but then tripped over a briefcase moments later that wasn't even in his way! It's as though he forgot that he was supposed to be blind and wanted to quickly remind us of it before we started asking questions."

"Okay. That's fucking weird," Tony agreed. "Proof or it didn't happen though."

"Ask JARVIS for the security footage."

"You watched the footage for yourself, didn't you?" Pepper asked.

"I thought I was going insane," Mia admitted. "No one else seemed to notice anything off."

Tony snorted. "That's 'cause everyone else is dumb."

Pepper ignored him. "Do you think Murdock isn't who he says he is? Is he just using being blind as a cover?"

"I have no idea," Mia shrugged. "It's been months though, and I've found nothing suspicious. His job and accounts seem to be above board and the few times I've followed him haven't given me anything. He's just a blind person who's good at avoiding unexpected obstructions but pretends like he isn't."

"Maybe that's all there is to it?" the other woman offered, though it was clear that she didn't actually believe that herself.

"He looks like a guy who can actually see but is pretending to be blind," Tony announced abruptly, having pulled up the security footage from the courthouse from the Fisk trial. "I mean what the fuck is this? He's blind, and I've got the medical records to prove it, but it's like he can see."

"I'm not crazy," Mia softly told herself.

"Or you and Sir are both sharing a delusion," JARVIS offered, having been the only being to have heard her comment.

Tilting her head back, she asked, "Why don't you love me?"

"Because Sir has forbidden it," the AI answered solemnly.

Mia shook her head sadly, pointedly ignoring the way Pepper's shoulders were shaking with repressed mirth. "Tony's jealousy has always been his tragic flaw. We can't allow him to come between us though, JARVIS."

"Stop trying to steal my AI!"

* * *

Frank's attitude towards Mia had shifted ever-so-slightly once they'd actually gotten the chance to sit down and clear the air in regards to his knowledge of magic and her experiences with it. Not everything, because Mia wasn't willing to bare all her scars to him and Frank didn't need to know. But he had learned enough.

Now, instead of watching her with a sort of exasperated acceptance, Mia could see hints of protectiveness appearing in his behavior. The description of her childhood had set him on edge to begin with but understanding that it took place in the magical world seemed to only upset Frank further. He wasn't too familiar with magic, but seemingly knew enough to understand how destructive it could be and how easy it was to destroy a person with a simple spell in a way that a normal person couldn't manage.

It was when she had explained to him why her parents- the Grangers, not Loki and Carol- hadn't been able to help her more simply because they had no say in the Wizarding World, that Frank finally seemed to snap. He didn't say anything out loud, but Mia could see it in his eyes; he had come to some sort of a decision and Mia could only hope that it wasn't a reckless one.

Slipping quietly into the apartment, Mia knelt down to greet an ecstatic Max. "I've missed you," she informed him, gently scratching behind his ears. "How have you been? Has Frank been taking good care of you? Has he been taking care of himself?"

Frank snorted. "You could just ask me yourself."

"I could, but you're more likely to lie."

Mia was already getting a rush of images and impressions from Max- the gentleness of Frank's hand brushing over his fur, how rough his voice was as he made sure Max was comfortable, and how happy Max was to be somewhere safe and warm. She was pleased to see just how attached Max and Frank seemed to have become in such a short time.

"There something you need?" Frank asked.

She straightened up and finally looked over to see Frank sitting at his desk fiddling with some kind of radio. "I see you were able to find the scanner you needed." When he continued to sit in silence, Mia sighed. "You didn't need to go to the trouble of finding it yourself- I told you that I'd get you what you needed."

He shrugged. "Easy enough to find it myself."

"Of course. And did you find it before or after you beat a pawnshop owner to death with a baseball bat?" That finally got Frank to look at her and Mia smirked. "I've been keeping an eye on the news."

"Scumbag was running a child porn ring," he spat. "Got what he deserved."

Walking over to him, Mia perched herself on top of one of the many weapons cases littering the room. "I never said he didn't. The police did make a note of that fact in their case reports and, from what I can tell, the detectives in charge of the case aren't as concerned as they might have been at finding the killer."

Frank gave a huff of amusement. "Yeah, 'cause I was real concerned about that."

_It would be nice if you were. _"I've been keeping an eye on Grotto," Mia started. "He's made a deal with Reyes in exchange for her support with a witness protection agreement. Officially, Reyes wants to use him in order to catch a dealer named Edgar Brass, but it's rather obvious that the person she's really trying to catch is you. If Brass is even anywhere in the area tonight, I'll be genuinely surprised."

"Gonna use Grotto as bait to lure me out," Frank snorted. "Well, guess I shouldn't disappoint."

She sighed. "I was worried you would choose to go that route."

"There another option?"

"Yes. Ignore Grotto. Or, if you really can't do that, then just take him out from a distance instead of whatever nonsensical, up-close-and-personal plan you've just now decided to implement."

Frank gave a huff of laughter. "Yeah, but my plan involves killing two birds with one stone."

"If only two people die tonight, I'll be truly surprised," Mia responded dryly. "And a little disappointed."

"Anything else I should know about?"

"Not that I'm aware of." She glanced over again at his radio setup. "Though, if there is, I'm sure you'll hear about it at around the same time I do, if not sooner. If nothing else, hopefully this little set-up will at least show us just how much authority Reyes does have within the police department. A DA shouldn't be allowed to head operations like these, so I want to know just how Reyes has managed to get so many people to bend over for her."

"Yeah?" Frank glanced over at her. "Does the reason really matter?"

"No," Mia stated, a hard gleam appearing in her eyes. "I just hate not knowing. Besides, how are we going to properly punish people if we don't fully understand their crimes?"

* * *

"_You've put me in a very uncomfortable position, you know," Loki told Mia, sinking down onto the couch next to her._

_Mia had her head leaned back onto the top of the couch, eyes closed. "I have no idea what you mean."_

_Loki studied his daughter, taking in the dark skin under her eyes and the chaos in her aura. "I speak of what you left with Barnes."_

_Her eyes snapped open and she turned to look at her father, gaze wary. "… would it help if I reminded you that what I did was not technically Dark Magic, nor did it actually cause any irreparable harm to my soul?"_

"_It would not. You tore out a bit of your soul, Mia! You know how dangerous such magic is, yet you did it anyway." Loki shook his head in disappointment. "I thought I had taught you better than that."_

_She flinched. "That is a gross exaggeration of what I did! I did not tear apart my soul- I did not create a Horcrux! I merely left an echo of my powers and my essence within Bucky so that, when he wakes up, I'll be able to find him quickly."_

"_You have no idea what the consequences-"_

"_Do not condescend to me!" Mia snapped, standing up and looking down at her father with hands on her hips. "I am not a child. I am also not a low-level learner of magic. I knew exactly what I was doing and what the results of doing so will be. I didn't leave Bucky with any of magic or with my powers from Mum. All he has are my rapid healing capabilities and my inherent mental-shields."_

_Loki also stood, looming over Mia. "You also left him with some of your memories! If he were to say anything upon his awakening, all of your plans would be ruined. Why take such a risk when you would absolutely be assured victory otherwise?"_

_Mia inhaled sharply, looking away. After a long moment, she reminded him, "I promised that I wouldn't leave him alone. I promised. Even though our minds may no longer be linked, at least he'll remember me when he wakes up. He'll know who I am and that I am coming for him. It was the best I could do. Bucky deserves more, but it's all I have to give. And I don't care how many difficulties my actions may cause me in the future- my choices are my own and I won't let you or anyone else shame me for my decisions."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	20. Chapter 20

**(A/N): Well hello there! How are you all doing right now? Hopefully better than me because honestly, things have been a bit rough. I got into a minor car accident recently (I'm fine, don't worry) but my car was not so I had to get a new one. I had been planning on getting a new vehicle next year but this accelerated those plans and I ended up having to take out a rather substantial loan- which is an awful feeling. I know that it's fine and it's what people have to do but I feel like a bit of a failure. I'm hoping that feeling goes away sooner rather than later though and that I'm able to pay the loan down reasonably quick. Maybe.**

**I really do hope things are going better for you all. If things have to be crappy for me then they should at least be spectacular for you. That's the law according to me.**

**That being said, I hope you all are still staying safe out there. If you're in America, then I'm sure you're well-aware of how... wild things are right now. It sucks that our leaders are being so inconsistent and that it feels like no one is listening to reason, but I have hope that things will get better. To all the teachers and healthcare people out there, I'm sorry. I know you're tired and scared and feel like no ones listening to you and I wish I could help you more. Please stay safe and do what's best for YOU. **

**Thanks to Adonisx, stars-for-dreams, roon0, General Mac, ssera, shesunn, Glorificus26, Stille und regen, Aeris Lux, Freyja-Njorda, Sora Loves Rain, Adharablack85-2, mirabellec, DOAWOTA, alexaguamenti, NothernLights25, pwrmom2, Catzandbookz8, awkwardwriter98, Stephanie MRV, CassiopeiaKnight, sailorxbloom, and Guests for reviewing! Your words are worth more to me than you'll ever know. **

**This chapter was betaed by sailorxbloom because she is the best and deserves all the good vibes! I even managed to get this to her early enough that she didn't have to rush to edit so it would seem that I'm finally learning. xD**

**Sorry this took so long to get to you all. This chapter is almost twice the length of a normal chapter and I didn't even get to all that I wanted to include. Do you all prefer long chapters or short ones? Someone was telling me that readers prefer shorter chapters because they get bored halfway through so I wanted to hear your thoughts. Are we cool with long chapters?**

**This chapter has characters from _Daredevil, Jessica Jones,_ and The_ Punisher. _If you read my character-study piece for Hermione under _The Collection_, then you will be seeing one scene from that piece here so you'll be getting some answers about which character is which. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to working on my Hermione/Legends of Tomorrow piece that I swore I wasn't going to write. I tried my best but I just could not resist the idea of a Hermione/Leonard Snart story.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_When Harry had been summoned to Kingsley's office, he'd thought that the Minster just wanted to see if they had any updates on the Dumbledore case. Instead, he was being questioned about his well-being by a 'friend'. _

_Harry knew about the dangers of having had Voldemort in his mind for so many years. He'd heard the concerns from the few trusted healers in Britain that he'd been taken to after the war. They hadn't been quiet when discussing just what side effects he might experience after having his mind and soul saturated in Dark Magic for most of his life._

_There was a difference between knowing and caring though. Harry hadn't cared about their concerns before- hadn't cared about much at all really- and the potion regimen they put him on ensured that he continued not to care afterward._

"_I know that Hermione's return has been difficult, to say the least," Kingsley said, giving Harry a sympathetic look. "You thought she was dead and then you come to find out that, not only is she alive, but she's also-"_

"_Angry?" Harry interrupted, tone even. "Enraged at seeing just how thoroughly we failed her?" When Kingsley just sat there, looking uncomfortable, he sighed. "Honestly, I think I would have been more suspicious if she hadn't been pissed. Hermione should be angry- she has the right to be angry. Though, I will say that I didn't expect her anger to include basically telling all of us to bugger off because she'd rather watch us burn than help but I can't really say I blame her. We made our beds. Now we have to lie in them."_

_Kingsley clearly didn't agree. "We've made many improvements in the years since the war. I know it's not enough, but it's unreasonable to expect that centuries of prejudices are done away with in a matter of days."_

'Did you know, you were thought to be the symbol of the future, a symbol of hope here in Britain?' _Hermione had asked him. _'You were supposed to bring a new era to Wizarding Britain, a better one. Instead, Wizarding Britain is on the verge of collapse. What a disappointing future you've brought.'

"_I just wanted to check-in and make sure you're alright," Kingsley continued. "I know losing Hermione affected you very deeply and I'm sure her return has done much the same. I want to make sure that you're still looking after yourself."_

'I can't say for sure how Lily Evans would feel if she was here now, but I can say this: I am disappointed in you. I am disappointed to see the kind of man you became from the boy I knew. I am disappointed in how you've chosen to live your life- at all the pain and grief you have either knowingly or ignorantly caused.'

"_Are you still taking your potions?" he prodded, studying Harry intently when he remained silent._

'I am ashamed. I am ashamed of the fact that I spent years calling you my friend. I am ashamed that I wasted my time defending you when you weren't worth it. I am ashamed that I ever thought you were someone deserving of my loyalty. I am ashamed that I sacrificed everything to help you and in return, you spat on everything I believe in. And most of all, I am ashamed to know that my name will be forever linked with yours.'

_Harry's mind drifted to the box full of unopened potion vials in his bathroom. "Of course, Kingsley. Every day."_

* * *

"_Why can't any of your requests be normal?" _Jessica complained.

Mia hummed, scanning over each aisle as she walked past. "Because you would leave me in a heartbeat if they were?"

"_Ugh. You make it sound like we're committed."_

"Now, now," Mia laughed. "You know you're the only one for me." Her eyes lit up as she spotted what she was looking for.

Hurrying down the aisle, Mia came to a stop in front of the many shelves of sweets.

Growing up, she had been taught to avoid sugary treats since they caused cavities and poisoned the body. However, a lovely perk of being the daughter and having the powers of Carol Danvers meant that Mia expended far more calories than the average being. Tony and Pepper had been trying to keep her away from sugar- and caffeine- for months as though that would help with her lack of sleeping and it took Mia an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize that she was an adult and could just go and buy her own food.

She debated for a moment before shrugging and picking up a family-size bag of Reese's and another of mini Hershey bars. Then, just for fun, Mia grabbed a few other bags of candy she hadn't tried yet.

"_Guess this a bad time then to tell you that I'm seeing other people," _the PI retorted, voice bland.

"In that case, I'll have to see about penciling in a fit of jealous rage tomorrow so I can drop by your apartment and loudly argue about how you can't just leave me because our bond is eternal."

Jessica snorted. _"If you do that, I swear to God I'll take you out myself."_

Mia headed up to the checkout. "A lovers quarrel that ends in a murder-suicide? The press will love it."

"_But what about Billy?" _she gasped.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop," Mia gave in, unwilling to go down that road. "Look, you're still helping me with Sam," she pointed out, carefully using a previously agreed upon nickname for Reyes in case someone nearby was eavesdropping. "I need to know what happens tonight, but I can't go and see myself. You, however, can do so without it appearing strange as it makes sense that your work would take you there."

"_Whatever you say,"_ Jessica retorted dryly, and Mia knew that she was smirking.

Dropping her bags on the counter, Mia peeked at the cashier to see if they had realized who she was. If the teenager had, she apparently didn't care. Mia honestly didn't understand why adults complained so much about the 'youths of today' being apathetic. All it really seemed to be was the younger generation cared less about names and status and more about actions.

She honestly wished the people she had grown up with had been more like today's youth; it was unlikely a single one of these people would have cared in the slightest about going to school with someone dubbed 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' or tolerated even half the things Hermione had while at Hogwarts.

"If you really don't want to do this, then just tell me," Mia told Jessica. "You know I can find another way to do this." _You know your comfort comes first._

Jessica was quiet for a moment, long enough for Mia's bags to be scanned and placed into the reusable bag that she had nabbed. _"It's fine. Besides, with JARVIS' help, it won't even be that hard."_

"If you're sure…" she drawled out, suddenly feeling unsure herself. Was she asking too much of Jessica? In addition to the business side of their relationship, Mia knew that they were slowly building a friendship of sorts between them. Well, as much of a friendship as either of them were emotionally capable of having.

"_Wouldn't say it if I wasn't."_

"We both know that's not true," Mia murmured and then heard a click as Jessica hung up.

She shouldn't have pushed. Gods knew she hated it whenever someone did it to her, but Mia also knew that it was the only way to get Jessica to speak sometimes. Knowing what she did about her background, it was easy to understand why Jessica kept silent, why she felt that her voice wouldn't be heard. And while things had been better since Kilgrave's death, Jessica still had her triggers that pushed her back into bad habits.

If it were anyone else, Mia would be telling them to stand down if they were beginning to spiral. But Jessica was similar to her in that working would be the thing to help keep her head above water long enough for her to find her footing again.

"Your total is $17.59," the cashier told her, and Mia handed her a twenty. Tony would be able to find out what she'd purchased if he wanted to, but Mia didn't intend to make it any easier for him by using her card.

"You sure you've got enough candy there?" someone asked behind her, audibly amused.

Snapping her head around, Mia's eyes widened in surprise at seeing Billy standing a few feet away from her. "What are you doing here?" she questioned, genuinely confused. Billy had struck her as someone who only enjoyed the finer things in life. Even now, standing in a tiny shop, he stood out in his designer suit. Glancing pointedly at it, Mia added, "After all, this clearly isn't your usual scene."

"You're right, it's not," he agreed easily, stepping forward to grab the bags full of candy and ushering Mia out of the way once she'd collected her change. "However, I was nearby and saw you come in here. Thought I'd drop by and say hello."

"How creepy," she commented, stepping out of the store and, once Billy had joined her, snatched her bags back from him.

"It's called being aware of your surroundings."

"You could also call it stalking."

Billy laughed. "Considering the fact that we're still in the running for being your new security team, you could also call it guarding."

"Didn't I deal with that?" Mia wondered, thinking back. She thought she had, but it was possible that she had forgotten to what with the Frank situation. "I thought I had."

"Well, we haven't gotten a no yet."

"Keyword there is yet." She dug into one of the sacks and ripped open the bag of Reese's. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have plans to eat all of this candy and then litter the floors of Tony's lab with the wrappers so that he'll know I won't be deprived anymore."

"Sounds like an interesting story. Can I give you a ride while you tell me all about it?" His tone caught her off-guard and Mia gave him a closer look.

Billy didn't appear to be nervous or stressed but there was a strange tightness in his eyes. Clearly, he wished to speak with her about something that was, at the very least, important to him and most likely not for public ears.

"Alright," she agreed, mildly curious. "Though, I should point out, I don't think I'm the one who's supposed to be supplying the candy if you're the one luring me into a strange vehicle."

Billy relaxed slightly. "I'll work on that." He escorted her to his car and held the passenger door open for her before slipping in behind the wheel.

"I know you've been meeting with Curtis Hoyle."

Mia's eyes snapped over to his. This wasn't what she was expecting. "I have," she started cautiously. "I hadn't realized how good of friends the two of you were until I met with him the first time. He told me that he was a friend of yours."

"What do you want with him?"

"That is none of your business," Mia warned.

"It is when it involves my friend! I don't know what exactly it is you're interested in him for but I'm sure you can understand why I'd be concerned."

Her eyes narrowed. While Mia could, in fact, understand why someone would be concerned about her speaking with someone they knew, that really only applied to someone who knew what exactly she got up to her in free time. And Billy wasn't part of that group.

"Again, it's none of your business," she repeated. "All I will say is that, when I spoke with him, it was after one of his support meetings. And it was in that capacity that we were speaking."

Billy froze, eyes wide for just a moment in genuine surprise before his expression evened out again. "You went to see him because of the meetings he runs for veterans?"

"I went to speak to him because of his experience in supporting people with profound trauma and severe PTSD," Mia slowly told him, picking her words carefully. "I didn't even know you knew each other until he mentioned it; he thought I was visiting because of you. Which you apparently thought too, for some reason you haven't explained."

"Ah." He sat back in his seat, running a hand through his hair. "I guess that was pretty arrogant of me. Just… Curtis is one of my oldest friends. He's one of the few genuinely good people in the world. I've asked him to come work with me several times, but he's happy where he is- helping people the best way he can. And I've done my best to respect that by keeping the things and people in my life as separate from him as I can manage. So, when I found out you were meeting with him, my mind immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario."

Mia frowned. "How would my meeting with him because of you be a worst-case scenario? And how exactly did you find out? Are you following him, or me?"

"Him. Which I know sounds bad but it's coming from a genuinely good place." Billy snorted at the look that was filled to the brim with doubt aimed at him. "Well, as good a place as I can manage. We lost a really close friend a while ago and I couldn't help worrying about Curtis. I just need to make sure that he's safe. I guess… I'm scared of losing him too and am not going about it in the best way. Guess I should be trying to find the time to attend his meetings," he attempted to joke, but it fell flat.

They sat in silence for a moment before Mia admitted, "I know that feeling. I understand. I won't tell you that what you're doing is alright, but it would be hypocritical of me to judge you for something I'm just as guilty of."

Billy studied her. "Your brother?" he guessed.

"That's one. But I do happen to associate with multiple individuals who all have hero complexes and less than stellar self-preservation instincts. Sometimes I'm not sure a single one of them would care if they died as long as they could justify it as being for a 'worthy' cause."

"Is it that you don't trust them, or you don't trust others with them?"

Mia's lips pulled up into a twisted, bitter grin. "Don't you know? Trust is a careless pursuit at best. And at worst, it's a good way to get yourself killed."

Leaning in slightly closer, Billy was about to say something when Mia's phone beeped. Hurriedly pulling it out of her pocket, she saw it was a text from Jessica.

_SOS_. Moments later, an address popped onto the screen.

"I have to go," she announced, fumbling for the door handle and hopping out.

"What about your candy?" Billy called.

For some reason she didn't quite understand, Mia told him, "If you can find a way to get these to me later, I'll owe you a favor," before closing the door and racing for the closest alleyway.

* * *

"It would be unwise for you to announce your presence here," JARVIS warned into the comm she'd slipped into her ear, sounding so disapproving that Mia couldn't help the small smile playing on her lips. "There is no acceptable reason for you to be in the area."

"I know, JARVIS. I promise that I won't say anything, but I would like to know what is going on. Jessica wouldn't have texted me unless it was important."

"You have heard that curiosity killed the cat, haven't you?" the AI sighed.

"I have," she told him brightly. "Just as I'm sure you've heard that satisfaction brought it back."

Though Mia could tell how unhappy JARVIS was with the idea, he directed her two blocks over and to the right. Using just enough magic to slip unnoticed by the numerous officers and agents milling about without frying her earpiece, Mia's attention was caught by Reyes going toe-to-toe with a petite blond woman.

There were two men hovering behind the women and she recognized one of them as Grotto's lawyer- Foggy Nelson- eyeing them warily. Walking over to them, Mia heard Reyes sneering, "Just one word? Can I get that in writing?'

"Oh, because written agreements suddenly mean something to you?" the blond spat, almost shaking with anger.

"You wanted your client in witness protection, right? Well, my offer's still valid for," Reyes looked at her wristwatch, "Twenty-three minutes."

"Grotto's gone."

"Too bad."

"You used our client for bait!" the blond shouted.

Reyes chuckled. "That's a pretty big allegation."

"Allegation? Look around! This was a shit show! He could have died!"

"Let's be honest here- no bullshit. Your firm is small-time," Reyes sneered. "Your fifteen minutes were up after Union Allied. Right now, you are way out of your league. Won't take much to sell that you're the ones who compromised this operation."

The blond stared at her in shock as Nelson asked, "What?"

"JARVIS," Mia whispered, too softly for anyone but the AI to hear. "Access all footage and records that are connected to what happened here. And find out the name of the blond" She knew that AI recorded everything that filtered through the earpiece, so she needn't worry about making sure that this conversation was being recorded.

"Miss Jones already instructed me to do so," he informed her.

The D.A. shrugged. "Say that story goes public. The story that your incompetence endangered the life of your client, neighborhood civilians, and the brave officers of the NYPD."

"You're saying that you would blame us for this?" the blond cried.

"I never said that," the dark-haired woman said, turning back to look at the suited man behind her. "Did I say that?"

Her companion shook his head and quickly answered, "I didn't hear it."

Taking a step closer to the blond woman, Reyes warned, "Stay away from this case."

Mia stared at the blond as Reyes and her henchman walked to their car. Reyes wouldn't have made a threat like that unless she thought that the blond could be a potential thorn in her side. And the woman did look oddly familiar…

The blond turned to Foggy. "Nothing? Hmm? Not even a little support?"

"All the legal kung fu in the world wouldn't have won that fight. Her office could bury us," Foggy tried to defend himself. "We shouldn't have pushed it."

"Yeah, well, you didn't push anything," she told him, stepping past him.

Stepping away, Mia softly asked JARVIS, "What happened?"

"Miss Reyes attempted to lure Mr. Castle out using Mr. Grotto as bait. Mr. Castle caused a distraction using a member of the Dogs of Hell gang and a semi-truck, allowing him to access the area undetected. Unfortunately for him, the vigilante Daredevil followed him and attacked him, causing enough of a scene for the police to spot them. Miss Reyes ordered them both to be killed on sight, but Mr. Castle managed to escape unseen, taking Daredevil with him."

"Was Frank injured?"

"Miss Jones reported that he seemed to have taken a single bullet to his left arm."

Mia sighed. "Alright, JARVIS. I'm going to stay here for a bit longer and see if I can find out anything else before returning to the tower to grab some supplies and heading out to meet Frank."

The comm clicked off.

* * *

Once she was finished, Mia apparated back to her apartment in order to gather some extra medical supplies and make a thermos of coffee for Frank. When she appeared in her living room, Mia was surprised to find someone already inside waiting for her.

"Tony?"

Her brother didn't look up from his phone. "Mia," he greeted.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, walking away from him and into her kitchen. "Are you hiding from Happy again?"

"Nope. I was just waiting for you."

Turning on the coffee machine, Mia rummaged around in her cupboards for a moment before finally finding a stainless-steel thermos. Setting it down on the counter, she headed back into the living room. "Have you been waiting long? Why didn't you call me or have JARVIS alert me?"

"You've been gone a lot lately," Tony commented, and his avoidance of answering her questions directly instantly set Mia on edge. "I have been concerned and I've gotta tell you, it's not a feeling I like. You've been doing a good job of covering your tracks too, which makes me even more curious. So, today, after you left, I asked JARVIS where you were and what you were up to. And do you want to know what he said?"

_No. _"What?"

Tony finally met her gaze. "Nothing. He said absolutely nothing."

Mia stared at him. _Nothing? _JARVIS hadn't told him about Frank? Or about Reyes? Or even about HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D.? "I don't understand," she admitted.

"Neither do I." Tony stood up. "I know JARVIS knows exactly what you're doing but he's somehow found a way to ignore a direct order from me. Not even my override code was enough to get him to explain. Which means that either you've done something to JARVIS- which is unlikely but not impossible- or JARVIS has found a mind of his own and is no longer working primarily for me. And I know I make a lot of jokes, but an AI spontaneously being able to think and exist independently from its creator generally isn't a good thing."

JARVIS hadn't said anything this entire time, not even to greet Mia upon her arrival.

"It was me," Mia blurted. "I… I didn't mean to do anything wrong- I didn't fully understand what it was I did."

His gaze was hard and even- this wasn't a version of Tony she had seen very often, and it unsettled her. "What did you do?"

Her mind was racing, scrambling for an explanation. "I know your override codes- the ones you use so JARVIS will ignore previously devised protocols. All I wanted was to try and keep him from blurting out what I was looking up unless he was directly ordered by you to tell him. I didn't realize that using your code would tamper with JARVIS' core directives."

_Core directives? Was that even the proper term? How does JARVIS work?_

"And what exactly were your instructions to JARVIS?"

"That he wasn't to inform you about what I was working on unless you specifically referenced details to my project in your questions."

Tony's shoulders relaxed. "So, basically, you told him not to answer my questions about what you are working on unless I prove that I already know what it is you're doing. And you used my code when issuing your instructions, which caused them to become part of JARVIS' core functions and not just a protocol JARVIS oversees."

Mia hesitated. "That does sound accurate."

"So, I guess all that's left for me to ask is what are you doing and why don't you want to know about it."

"I don't want to answer that," she told him. "And I had thought that the fact that I did what I did to JARVIS in order to hide things from you would have shown you that."

"You know what the funnest thing about JARVIS is?"

"That you have someone around to constantly remind you that you need less coffee and more sleep?"

Shaking his head, he told her, "It's the fact that, the more you use him, the more dependent on him you become. I'm guessing that JARVIS has been a real asset to your work, and it would be a real shame if he weren't available to you anymore."

Staring directly into his eyes, Mia slowly told him, "If you think you can bully me into doing what you want then you are gravely mistaken. You know my history, Tony. Has anyone, even once, been able to bully me into doing something I don't want to do? Persuade, yes. Bully? No. And the fact that you're even considering trying it is-"

He seemed to deflate before her eyes. "I'm worried about you, Mia. And yeah, I'm being an asshole about it but I don't do this. I don't ask. I don't need to. You won't tell me what's going on, so what else am I supposed to do?"

"You're supposed to respect me enough that you either outright ask me what's going on, or you wait until I'm ready to tell you. I have asked you for time. I have asked you for space. If you can't give me that, then I'll be forced to do what I have to in order to get it myself."

* * *

"So," Mia started as she pulled out a salve and several potions that Frank would need to take. "What exactly made you decide that knocking out Daredevil and dragging his unconscious body all the way here was a good idea? Did the image of forcing him to watch as you blew up a Dogs of Hell's bar sound like a good time to you?"

"Are you here to help, kid, or are you just here to judge?" Frank grunted.

"I came with the intention to help you. The fact that you gave me the perfect opening to cast judgement is just an added bonus." She sat down next to Frank and passed him a bottle as she rolled his sleeve up and studied the wound. "I suppose we should just be grateful that the bullet only grazed you since I've never had to remove one before and I doubt a good time would have been had by either of us should I have needed to attempt it today."

"I can do this myself," he told her. "You should just head back."

Mia carefully poured a few drops of a potion that would clean the wound onto his arm. "Yes, you've said that several times and as I've said before, I'm not leaving. You don't scare me, Frank," she reassured him softly. "_This _doesn't scare me. Besides, someone needs to make sure you don't do anything reckless and stupid during this… discussion." She glanced over at Daredevil. "I must say, he's really not what I thought he'd be."

"Yeah? What were you expecting?"

"To be honest, a less ridiculous outfit and a more impressive weapon than a baton." Frank gave a short bark of laughter and Mia smiled, pleased with herself, as she whispered a spell to knit his skin back together. Her smiled faded quickly though as she cast another worried glance at the unconscious and chained vigilante. "What do you plan on doing with him?"

Frank rolled his eyes. "I'm not gonna kill him, if that's what you're getting at."

"I know you're not going to kill him," she snapped. "That goes against your code. I am concerned that you're going to do something foolish, though. You're frustrated by Daredevil and how he chooses to help people. Right now, I can't tell if you just want to speak with him or if you want to try and change him so that he acts more like you."

"That idea concerns you?" he questioned, wiping off the blood on his arm and running his fingers over the skin where his wound used to be.

"It's more that I'm concerned about your... communication methods."

Instead of answering, Frank finally opened the bottle she had handed him and quickly downed it.

The chains started clinking softly as Daredevil began to wake up. Mia hurriedly threw up a Silencing Charm around her and set up a simple barrier so that the vigilante wouldn't be able to see, hear, or even sense anything happening from her corner of the room. She could openly speak with Frank and he wouldn't be able to hear a thing. As she was finishing up, Daredevil jerked awake.

"Morning sunshine." Frank greeted cheerfully as Daredevil began shifting around. Mia rolled her eyes at the drama of it all as she poured a cup of coffee for Frank from the thermos she'd brought and passed it over.

"They say you don't hear the bullet that gets you," Frank continued and sipped from the cup. "Always thought that sounded like a bunch of bullshit to me. How 'bout you, Red? When I cracked off your forehead the other night, did you hear that?"

Daredevil continued to struggle against his bonds and finally started shouting.

"You can bash against the chains all night," Frank told him. "The only way you get out of here- only way you walk free- is if I want you to. Know that."

Slumping back against the bricks, Daredevil asked, "Why didn't you take my mask off?"

"Don't give a shit about who you are." Glancing over at Mia, Frank's lips quirked upwards. If he really wanted to know who Daredevil actually was, he would have found out long before then. It would have only taken him a few days to figure it out on his own and it'd have taken Mia even less time.

"You killed everyone else. Why am I still alive? Huh? I got in your way twice now and you don't strike me as someone who just lets that happen." Frank ignored him, standing up and walking over to pull the tarp off his many crates of weapons. Mia stayed where she was, studying the red-suited vigilante closely.

"Military-grade hardware," Daredevil continued, his head cocked to the side as if he was able to tell what Frank was doing simply through sound. Which had to be the case, since he wasn't able to see a thing from where he was chained.

But how the hell can someone _hear _crates of weapons? Unless Daredevil could read minds? But that ability wouldn't fit with his previous actions.

"You seem to know your way around it. And you sure carry yourself like a soldier. What are you gonna do with all this?"

Unlike Mia, Frank didn't even seem slightly bothered by Daredevil's words. "I'll do what's required."

Sitting back down beside Mia, Frank drained the last of his coffee and Mia automatically poured him another cup. She was almost positive that Frank hadn't slept in over 24 hours and she planned on grabbing Max and then dragging them back to the tower after this in order to make sure he actually rested.

"This another one of your missions?" Daredevil asked. "That's why we're here, isn't it? How many will this make? I'm guessing you've done this, what, maybe ten, twenty times? How long's it been?"

"My gods," Mia murmured. "Does he ever stop talking? Or is that part of how he's able to take down so many criminals- nags them so much they willingly surrender to the police just to escape the noise."

Frank gave a huff of laughter, which made Daredevil tilt his again in what she guessed was confusion, before soldiering on. "Six months? A year? Or your whole life? Something tells me you don't take breaks. You know, no one else has to die. You can stop now. Walk away."

That finally got a response out of Frank. "Walk away?" he repeated, putting the gun he had just finished putting together off to the side. "Could you do that? Could you walk away?" When Daredevil remained silent, Frank just gave a soft huff and a small, bitter grin. "Yeah."

Church bells started toiling then, and Mia glanced over her shoulder at the direction they were coming from.

"What is that?" Daredevil asked. "Midnight?"

"St. Matthew's," Frank told him absently, making his way back across the roof again with his gun. Mia shook her head in reproach, but Frank just ignored her.

"You a Catholic?" he prodded, tone a strange, soft mixture of surprise and something like hope.

Frank glanced over at him for a moment before looking back down. "Once."

"From New York?"

"Once."

Daredevil gave a soft laugh. "You still go to Mass?"

"Stop now, Red," Frank quietly warned him.

"Stop?"

"Stop digging."

Mia could see that Frank was doing his best to remain calm, but he clearly didn't like even the slightest mention of things that were in his past. Once upon a time, he was a good, Christian husband and father. But once upon a times never did end well.

"Ah," Daredevil huffed and smiled. "You know, a funny thing about New York. Few people are actually from here. The ones who are, they don't leave. They can't- they feel like the city's a part of them, you know? Until one day, something changes. Maybe they get older. And then they have to leave, they have to get out. See the world maybe. Maybe they enlist." He went quiet again for a moment, seemingly able to hear something in Frank's silence that Mia couldn't. "Where'd they send you?"

Frank didn't seem bothered now that they'd moved from Christian to soldier. "You a shrink, Red?" Daredevil looked down and didn't answer. "Now, come on, you must be something when you're not wearing the long johns, right?"

Daredevil smirked slightly and shook his head. "I'm just a guy."

"Yeah? You ever been to war?" Frank asked.

Mia knew he hadn't- it was obvious in the way he spoke and in the code Daredevil lived by. Such naivety didn't last long after watching blood fall on the battlefield.

"No."

"Then don't talk about it."

"I've seen some fights," Daredevil offered, still trying to find common ground with Frank.

"Sure you have."

"Well, I almost had you beat."

"You talk about trading hands on a rooftop, Red. I'm talking about shit, okay? Shit that you ain't been in."

"I know one thing."

"What's that?"

"War changes people. Sometimes they see things they can't unsee. Come home to find home's not there anymore. It changed. Or maybe they did."

Daredevil made it sound like one or the other. Either home changed, or they did.

But, in Mia's experience, it was both. When you're gone, the world doesn't stop turning. Your friends and family don't stop living their lives simply because you're gone. That change just always felt so much more dramatic than it actually was because the person who was gone was also changing- and those changes made them view their home differently.

"Fair enough," Frank agreed, voice so quietly she could barely hear it.

"I'm just saying- I know it can be hard."

Mia couldn't stop the harsh laugh that escaped her.

Frank seemed to feel the same way. "Do you? You know it can be hard? You run around this city in a pair of little boy's pajamas and a mask. You go home at night, right? Take that mask off, maybe you think, it wasn't you who did those things, maybe it was somebody else. But you see soldiers, we don't wear masks, yeah? We don't get that privilege."

"Unless you're Steve," Mia couldn't help quietly adding. "But he wasn't very good at hiding his identity. Not that the government helped with that since they really viewed him as nothing more than their show-pony."

He hummed in agreement, causing Daredevil to cock his head to the side in confusion before continuing on. "You know what I think?"

"What's that?"

"You're still at war."

"For crying out loud," Frank groaned, walking back over to take a seat beside Mia. "So, you charge by the hour, doc, or what?"

"If he does, I want my money back," she told Frank.

"Why am I here?" Daredevil finally asked.

"Everything you do out there in the streets, Red, it doesn't work. Did you know that?"

"A better question would be does he care," Mia muttered, ignoring Frank's glare.

"Oh," Daredevil scoffed. "And what you do is better?"

"What I do, I just do. It's out of necessity."

"C'mon. You know you're not the only one, right? Who did you lose, huh?" he taunted. "Was it someone you loved?" Mia visibly flinched at Daredevil's mocking tone and Frank shot her a concerned look. "Well, boo-hoo. Let me tell you something, buddy: everybody's lost someone. Doesn't mean you have to do this."

_Who did you lose? Was it someone you loved?_

Mia didn't know why those words- that tone- pierced through her so painfully. Didn't know why those words fell like daggers.

_Who did you lose?_

Who did she lose? Who was she mourning? Enough time had passed that Mia could finally admit the truth if only to herself.

In the beginning, it wasn't about who she had lost, but who she was going to lose. The moment the Time Stone showed her the possibilities that were laid out in her future, everything changed for her. Her every fear had become real.

Tony dead. Steve broken. Her father lifeless. Her mother mourning.

_Was it someone you loved?_

No.

It wasn't _someone_ she loved. It was everyone.

She had to protect them though, whatever it took. Whatever it cost. Because everything had a price. And Mia knew what the price would be to save her loved ones.

Even the last resort had a last resort. A plan Hermione Granger had put in place before running with Harry and Ron. A plan that Mia Lokisdottir had perfected. A plan that Mia Stark was willing to pay the price for.

And all it would cost was her life. It was a small, insignificant price to pay in her mind.

As much as she hated to admit it, Dumbledore had it right all along. He had seen her for exactly what she was: expendable. An acceptable loss. All those years helping Harry, desperately trying to keep him alive, had whittled her sense of self down to the bare minimum.

And even her years with Loki and Carol hadn't been enough to help her unlearn that lesson.

_Who did you lose? Was it someone you loved?_

_Just myself, _Mia silently answered, finally realizing the answer now. _But it's okay- I never loved her anyway._

A hand squeezed her shoulder for a moment, pulling her back into herself. "Well, loss doesn't work the same for everybody, Red," Frank told Daredevil.

"Yeah, that's right," he scoffed. "It's clearly not working for you."

"Maybe not." Frank looked down at her, speaking to her even though he was technically responding to Daredevil. "We don't get to pick the things that fix us. Make us whole. Make us feel purpose. My moment of clarity? It came from the strangest of places."

When had her moment of clarity happened?

Was it when she had finally begun to piece together what had happened to Bucky? The knowledge that it was time to stop focusing on herself and start focusing on helping those she could?

Or was it when she'd declared to Yon-Ragg that she was not her mother? That she wasn't a hero concerned with saving the lives of the innocent, but instead concerned with saving the lives of her loved ones?

That sounded about right. After all, didn't moments of clarity happen right before one hit the ground? Before it happens, there's a general sense of wrongness, like the world doesn't quite make sense anymore. As though the facts being presented aren't following the previously agreed-upon rules of logic. And then a moment of clarity strikes- finally all the puzzle pieces fit together into a recognizable shape. That's when the pain hits. When understanding finally settles in about what happened and why there's no going back.

Realizing she wasn't a hero was her moment of clarity. Everything that happened afterward was just her adjusting to the new world order.

Was that what it was like for Frank? Had he too originally thought that maybe he was the hero before his family died and he realized that he wasn't the hero in their story but instead their villain?

Did Frank know what really happened to his family? If he didn't, what would happen once he did? Would it change anything? Or would it just provide him with another moment of clarity?

Could either of them survive any more clarity? Mia honestly wasn't sure she could. In order to do what needed to be done and be prepared for what was coming, she needed to be focused. She needed to be balanced. And nothing ruined a careful balance more than honesty.

* * *

"_You know, most people who come looking for me generally have something nefarious in mind."_

_Gamora whirled around. Despite her training- her torture- and her enhancements, she hadn't even heard the other woman enter the room let alone come up behind her._

_Shoulder length blond hair, pale skin, hard brown eyes, blue, yellow, and red outfit- this had to be her._

"_Captain," she greeted respectfully._

_The other woman looked at her coldly. "Gamora," she returned, and Gamora couldn't help flinching._

"_How-"_

"_You don't really think I wouldn't find out all there is to know about Thanos' favorite daughter, did you?"_

_Straightening her spine, Gamora spat, "I'm not his."_

_Other than a single brow lifting slightly, Captain Marvel's expression remained unchanged. "Is that why you've been searching for me? So I can help you find a way out?"_

"_No," Gamora shook her head. "I don't want help escaping Thanos- I want help ending him."_

_The Captain leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing. "Why would you- Thanos' most favored and supposedly-loyal child- want him dead?"_

_Gamora's jaw clenched. "Do you know how he finds his children? When he attacks a planet, he chooses a child to spare and then takes them with him when he leaves. He lies and says it's because they showed potential and are destined for more, but the truth is that it's just one more way he can inflict pain. He kills the majority of a race, and then forces the few survivors to watch as one of their own becomes another one of his weapons._

"_He murdered my mother, and expected me to be fine with it because I gained a father in return. But I had a father. I had a family. I had a home and a life and a future and all of that was ripped away from me." _

_Finally, emotion bled into Captain Marvel's expression. "The first time I heard of Thanos was when I saw what remained of your planet," she told Gamora, sounding tired and sad. "I saw what he did and I couldn't understand why. The Kree committed so many atrocities because they truly believed themselves to be superior. But they at least were efficient in their kills because their goal was simply to exterminate enemy races. But what happened there was different. It looked like he killed them because-"_

"_It was fun," Gamora finished bitterly. "Because he's courting Death, and what better way to gain Death's attention than to revel in it?"_

_Captain Marvel's eyes closed for a brief moment before her expression turned neutral again. "How do I know this isn't a trap? Why should I believe you?"_

_Gamora had been waiting for that question. "Because I can help you find the Power Stone." The Captain's eyes widened and she smirked. "I have spent years watching and waiting for my moment to avenge my people. I know I can't defeat Thanos myself. But I can help you do it. You can defeat him and in return, you'll help me and my sister, Nebula." She hesitated for a moment. "We have both done things that we're not proud of. We were children when Thanos took us and were forced to… we didn't have a choice. She didn't have a choice. Nebula. Thanos was harsher with her than with the rest of us. But I know that, deep down, she's still a good person. She just needs a chance to be that again. And if I help you, then maybe she'll get that. Maybe _we'll_ both get that."_

_It was silent for a moment and then, suddenly, Captain Marvel smiled. "If we're going to be working together, then we should probably be less formal. My name is Carol."_

* * *

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